somewhere on the mainland: early, early friday morning
It's morning.
Nathan didn't know where he was or what he was. In the distance, he heard a bird (a crossbill?) call out. Another joined him. The noises were loud, piercing, and he wanted to wince and curl up and die.
He's been asleep but he knew it's early morning. Shit. Shit shit shit shit where was he? He needed to wake up, he needed to get off his ass. Nathan can't believe he's been asleep this lon --
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Shit. Shit shit shit shit! The noise. Nathan recognized the noise. It made him shiver, made him sweat.
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Nathan knew what that noise meant. He knew that someone with a mobile was very close and he didn't know if it was Hunters who had finally found him or some unsuspecting fain, about to get the shock of their ever loving life. Nathan needed to get. GET UP GET UP GET UP!
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He had to think. He had to think and think fast. RIGHT NOW.
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It's definitely a mobile phone. It's a phone for sure and Nathan can hear it in his ears, upp right side, inside, constant, like an electrical interference, pure hiss, mobile hiss, loud, three or four meters away loud. Too loud. So loud.
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Okay, okay, Nathan had to think. Lots of people had mobiles. If it was a Hunter, he would have been seen. If it was the Hunter, she would have been able to see him and he'd be dead. He's not dead. She couldn't see him. He's not dead.
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The noise isn't getting louder but it's not moving away either. Nathan wondered if maybe he was hidden by something. He's on his side, face pressed into the ground. Totally still. All he can see is the earth in front of his eyes. He has to move. But not yet. He has to think and stay calm and figure out a plan.
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There's no breeze, no sun, just a faint light. It's early. The sun must barely be up or hidden behind clouds or dense trees. The ground is cool but dry. No dew. There's the smell of earth and pine and...there's another smell.
What's that smell?
And there's a taste. A bad taste. It tasted like....oh no --
Nathan tried not think about it. He tried not to think about. Please don't think about it. Think about something else, think about where you are.
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Nathan was lying on the ground, in the early, and the air was cool. Chilly almost. He's cold. He's because he's -- he's naked. He's naked and his upper torso was wet. His chest, his arms, his face is wet.
When he moved the fingers of his left hand, the tiniest of movements, he found they were sticky. Sticking together. Like they were coated with drying, sugary juice. It's not juice, though. Don't think about what it is. Don't think about what it is.
DO NOT THINK ABOUT WHAT IT IS.
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Nathan had to think about staying alive. He had to get up, he had to get out of here. Hunters were on his trail and Nathan couldn't remember what happened last night. What happened?
DO NOT THINK ABOUT IT.
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A steady mantra of 'think about staying alive' ran through Nathan's head, a litany that he clung to tightly . He moved his head just a touch and the ground by his face was covered in pine needles. Brown pine needles. The brown isn't from the pine though. It's the color of dried blood. His left arm was streaked in it, thick with it.
Red.
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Nathan knew he could find a stream and wash. Wash it all off.
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Nathan had to go. For his own safety, he had to get up and get away, get moving, go.
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The mobile phone is still close, not changing. It wasn't coming closer. But, Nathan had to look. He had to check. He turned his head to the other side, trying to prep himself for what he might see.
It looked a bit like a log. He hoped it was a log. God, please be a log.
It's not a log. It's black and red. Black boots, black trousers. One bent leg, one straight. Black jacket. Her face is turned away. She had short light brown hair and it's drenched in blood. She's lying still as a log and she's still wet. Still oozing. Not fast anymore. The mobile phone is hers.
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Nathan raised his head and saw the wound. It was her throat and it's ripped clean out, jagged and bloody and deep.
Red.
[NFB, NFI. He'll be posted a little later once he gets himself together and I get a few things done. Spoilers for the first chapter of Half Wild. Warning for: blood, gore, disturbing imagery.]
Nathan didn't know where he was or what he was. In the distance, he heard a bird (a crossbill?) call out. Another joined him. The noises were loud, piercing, and he wanted to wince and curl up and die.
He's been asleep but he knew it's early morning. Shit. Shit shit shit shit where was he? He needed to wake up, he needed to get off his ass. Nathan can't believe he's been asleep this lon --
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Shit. Shit shit shit shit! The noise. Nathan recognized the noise. It made him shiver, made him sweat.
c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h
Nathan knew what that noise meant. He knew that someone with a mobile was very close and he didn't know if it was Hunters who had finally found him or some unsuspecting fain, about to get the shock of their ever loving life. Nathan needed to get. GET UP GET UP GET UP!
c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h
He had to think. He had to think and think fast. RIGHT NOW.
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It's definitely a mobile phone. It's a phone for sure and Nathan can hear it in his ears, upp right side, inside, constant, like an electrical interference, pure hiss, mobile hiss, loud, three or four meters away loud. Too loud. So loud.
c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h
Okay, okay, Nathan had to think. Lots of people had mobiles. If it was a Hunter, he would have been seen. If it was the Hunter, she would have been able to see him and he'd be dead. He's not dead. She couldn't see him. He's not dead.
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The noise isn't getting louder but it's not moving away either. Nathan wondered if maybe he was hidden by something. He's on his side, face pressed into the ground. Totally still. All he can see is the earth in front of his eyes. He has to move. But not yet. He has to think and stay calm and figure out a plan.
c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h
There's no breeze, no sun, just a faint light. It's early. The sun must barely be up or hidden behind clouds or dense trees. The ground is cool but dry. No dew. There's the smell of earth and pine and...there's another smell.
What's that smell?
And there's a taste. A bad taste. It tasted like....oh no --
Nathan tried not think about it. He tried not to think about. Please don't think about it. Think about something else, think about where you are.
c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h
Nathan was lying on the ground, in the early, and the air was cool. Chilly almost. He's cold. He's because he's -- he's naked. He's naked and his upper torso was wet. His chest, his arms, his face is wet.
When he moved the fingers of his left hand, the tiniest of movements, he found they were sticky. Sticking together. Like they were coated with drying, sugary juice. It's not juice, though. Don't think about what it is. Don't think about what it is.
DO NOT THINK ABOUT WHAT IT IS.
c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h
Nathan had to think about staying alive. He had to get up, he had to get out of here. Hunters were on his trail and Nathan couldn't remember what happened last night. What happened?
DO NOT THINK ABOUT IT.
c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h
A steady mantra of 'think about staying alive' ran through Nathan's head, a litany that he clung to tightly . He moved his head just a touch and the ground by his face was covered in pine needles. Brown pine needles. The brown isn't from the pine though. It's the color of dried blood. His left arm was streaked in it, thick with it.
Red.
c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h
Nathan knew he could find a stream and wash. Wash it all off.
c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h
Nathan had to go. For his own safety, he had to get up and get away, get moving, go.
c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h
The mobile phone is still close, not changing. It wasn't coming closer. But, Nathan had to look. He had to check. He turned his head to the other side, trying to prep himself for what he might see.
It looked a bit like a log. He hoped it was a log. God, please be a log.
It's not a log. It's black and red. Black boots, black trousers. One bent leg, one straight. Black jacket. Her face is turned away. She had short light brown hair and it's drenched in blood. She's lying still as a log and she's still wet. Still oozing. Not fast anymore. The mobile phone is hers.
c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h
Nathan raised his head and saw the wound. It was her throat and it's ripped clean out, jagged and bloody and deep.
Red.
[NFB, NFI. He'll be posted a little later once he gets himself together and I get a few things done. Spoilers for the first chapter of Half Wild. Warning for: blood, gore, disturbing imagery.]