An insane laugh cackled out of me like a hyena. I’d make it out, like I always did. I went to my feet, steadier than I had been since this creature’s eyes first appeared in the swamp.
“Sweet dreams.” I let out a sigh of relief. For the first time since I’d laid my eyes on him, I was in control.
Control over the monster that had everyone else screaming. There was something twistedly delicious about that.
His eyes drooped. “Fight all you want. It won’t matter.”
He fled into the water, but I noticed he was wobbly on his feet. It took too long for the drugs to have an effect.
He’d be back sooner rather than later. Once again, I’d only pushed him back.
Tiredness hit me full force, dropping me to the ground. My eyes went to the still open case. There was only that one dart.
Hell, the only reason the gun was here was because Gale brought it, and he must not have checked the case.
“I’m losing him, Talia!” Panic filled Shannon’s voice. “I need that blood.”
Keep going. If you stop fighting now, you’ll drown.
Chapter 11:
“Areyouokay?”Shannonasked, breaking me out of my reverie as she pulled new pants on. She’d closed the canvas to clean herself up.
“I feel like…” I watched the blood leaving my body via a clear tube and entering Drew’s arm. A fuzzy thought that the monster wouldn’t like that hit me sideways. “I was the one tranquilized.”
I laid in the bed across from Drew. My eyelids threatened to close any moment.
“Did you nick yourself?” She opened the front flap and sat beside me, taking a deep breath of relief, but I noticed her eyes checking the water.
I laughed. “If I did, you’d be trying to keep me alive.”
“What do you think it is, then? Shock?” But she shook her head. “You’re too functional.”
“He said we were one,” I whispered.
It surprised me when she leaned closer. “Like married?”
“I think I felt his pain,” I blurted out my insane theory. Then laughed at how ridiculous it sounded.
That wasn’t possible.
Her eyes grew wide as she chewed it over. “So he’s in a similar state as you then. Awake but drowsy and slow.”
“Don’t listen to me. I’ve clearly lost the plot.” I scoffed at her.
“We could get out while he’s incapacitated.”
Assuming I hadn’t lost my last couple of marbles.
Professor Gale came up to sit beside me and used his fingers to brush my hair out of my face. Nausea filled me. I tried to pull away and failed. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been hit with a truck.” Not a single limb was spared from the fatigue hitting me.
He nodded, understandingly. “Professor Carter is going to walk to the road and try to get a cell signal.”
“We should all go.” Shannon crossed her arms. “That thing is incapacitated. We should flee while we can.”
“With two injured?” Gale argued.
