For the first 10 meters, he was on all fours. He fingers clawing at the dirt and toes scrambling to keep up. Once his abdomen had reactivated he raised into a full sprint.
His stomach lurch when the eardrums burst screech pierce his entire being.
Awoooooooool
'You won't escape. Masha will tear you. And bleed you. Mashed will suck you blood from the heart in your chest!'
Don't look back. Run. Jordan pumped his arms and legs as tears began to run down his face. Any doubt he had of this being reality was gone. It was no longer time to speculate. The danger was real. It had teeth, viscious eyes and sharp limbs Jordan was sure could lice him in two.
Even so the ei itial fire blast haf given him a head start. It gave him a chance. That was all he ever asked for in life; just a chance and he was going to waste it.
Being an athlete, Jordan has to get use to two things m, running and not know when he could stop. Between heelies and suicides, coach made sure the team had stamina to stay in a whole game if need be. That meant racing though the hottest days for hours. Jordan had built up endurance in his body, well his old body.
But it wasnt just physical endurance. He had to build the mental strength to withstand it. When a man sitting comfortably in the shade tell you five more lap, when he had already said five more laps twenty minutes ago, you get over it. You hard your guy and learn to ignore the pacing and passage of it. The running doesn't stop until it was tine to stop. There was no time limit or distance that mattered. You ran until you were done.
What better motivation fir testing his new body's physical limit than a man eating raging creature more pissed that a new born diaper?
Jordan loved a challenge. He spent his whole life trying to defy the impossible, what was one more race to prove himself?
Avery would never make it. Jordan winced as his ankle clipped against a stray stump. His cousin somehow always had an emergency meeting before condition training. Jordan smilled to himself. Avery wouldn't be able to talk his way out of being eaten alive. Jordan would have helped him, after he lost a leg...maybe.
Jordan pumped his limbs abut had trouble focusing. The herbs in is pockets slapped against him throwing off his gait. He took them out and was ready to throw then out and a longer pushed from his throat. Coupled with the blood that remained in his mouth, Jordan had no interest in the any more. He tossed them back absentmindely only to hear a second explosion.
The once quiet forest echoed with the burning creature's rage. What ever the bloody twig had done, it did little to stop the advance. It just left him with a pissed off monster. And now the added heal brought more fuel to the fire. Jordan could feel the heat of flames growing. But he also knew they would last for long.
'Foolish human. Your magic is weak. Masha will show you pain. Masha will goggle you up again and again. Masha. Will. Catch you.'
Jordan was sure if he was thankful that he had put a face to the predator. Was it better to be able to see his death straight on? To hear it racing after him?
"Magic."
Jordan bit his lips. There eas his silver lining whatever reaction his blood was having to plants mighy br just enough to get him to safety. Maybe it was weak. But if it was enough to slow the creature down Jordan would take his chances.
He eyes the trees around him. Most had a thick lake of slick sap. They would make for good climbing. Buy every now and then, a dryer tree qas nestled in between moist ones. Jordan steadied his breathing he had to aim properly for this.
Jordan fixed his gaze ahead that one!
Jordan ran half way up a tree before the creature's limb store it down. Rather than a clean cut, the tree trunk exploded spewing pulp, sap, and wooden bits into the air. Splinters flew about and embedded in his face. His face seared as his salty tears seeped through. But he got what he needed.
Snatched a fist filled of wood chips as they felt around him. He had enough for a few, maybe just two hits. Hr had to make them good. He had his kindling and luckily that thing was right on his tail. All he need was a good amount of blood to set the reaction.
Thankfully, Jordan had a habit of biting the inside of his cheek when he ran. With a pool of blood collected between his gum lines, Jordan spat into his hand tossing the small bundle of tree bits behind him.
Bam! Crash. Boom!
The ground shook and as did Jordan core. The blast spent him into the air and he landed poorly on his ankle. It wasn't a break. That all that mattered especially and he felt his eardrums burst.
Ahhhh! Urkag! Rahhhhg!
Jordan didn't look back to see the damage, he need more distance. He hopped on his left left and was dragging his right along. He had to keep running. It was going to feel excruciating, but ankle could be healed...he couldn't live without a body. Even with the chill on his back being replaced with a heavy heat, he didn't stop to rest . Even with smoke rising around him. It was not enough for him to feel safe.
He kept moving. He tried to keep his hope down. The scene around him was changing. But he couldn't focus on that. The creature's breath was a deep chill down his spine. Every so often Jordan could feel a swipe in the air behind him.
And the stench. Was it the burn hair and flesh or was in the acid fumes from its gaping maw that promise a gruesome end? It brought bile to the back of his throat. Jordan forced it down. His didn't have time to puke any more. Still the odor was dizzying. Jordan pushed his legs just to escape from the stench. He'd rather suffocate that continue smelling it as he ran.
Could he really do it? All he was armed with was a sudden weak ability to make bombs from blood and a piece of wood. That thing was huge. And fast despite its size. Jordan had gotten a good look at its anatomy. Yes I was little preoccupied with running for my life.
Jordan pushed the thought away. His brain took too much of his energy. Speed. He needed speed. All that mattered was escaping. Jordan's heart beat against his chest painfully. Suicides had nothing on the race of his life. Second life. Focus!
'You won't escape. Masha is here. Masha can taste the tenderness of your soul. There is no escape. Masha is hungry. Always hungry for more.'
Jordan had been so focused on just running, that the attention to his surroundings had no longer mattered. His brain pushed all energy in to keeping his legs moving, dodging any trip falls and staying ahead of its pursuer. The tears and snot running down his face were met with the blood from whipping past low hanging tree branches. The tips dug into jis skin, ripping away small flakes. Jordan didnt care he would not slow down. He had to keep moving. Even as the brain fog of blood loss was starting to set in he had to keep running.
His heart sank as the howls were replaced with mirth. He didnt need the thing to tell him that his pace was slowing. But the creature still hadn't caught him. There was a grating chuffed like breathing. Jordan thought of the videos of smokers would lost their throats and had to thread a tube down their window pipes to clear out the mucus. That mixed with the labored breathing of 15 players collapsed on the ground after running none stop due to poor game performance, that was the sound of the thing behind him.
Maybe it was dying. But its constant taunt confirmed it wasnt falling until it dealt with him first. Masha. Jordan reluctantly thought. Whatever Masha was, Jordan wasn't going down easy. He needed to get some more leeway. With the last few twigs and another mouthful of skittles and blood. Jordan toss them under his feet.
His bet worked. Masha was caught again and the blast had further propelled him forward. This time Jordan was ready for it. As he came down into a tuck, he rolled out onto his good ankle and continued his sprint.
'Masha will not lose. Masha never lose. Mashe will eat you up!'
"Fuck you and your mother, Masha. You can eat this dick!"
It wasn't his most impressive insult be he was tired of that thing running at it. He had to at least say something. But Jordan regretted it. The energy it to took to shout had made hard itfor him to keep his breathing in-line with his running. Hid diaphragm pulled in the opposite direction of his deflating lings. Jordan gasped as a side stich formed on his left. He chocked and tried to suck in more air, desperately. Already lactic acid was burning through his limbs. His feet felt numb to every foot fall. Shin splits threatened to burst through his skin. And his butt and hamstring were no longer fully extended as to pushed his body past a comfortable limit.
I'll rest when I'm dead. Well fuck. Jordan grimaced. It was the least joy inducing phrase. He was so close to death, he could still smell it. He had no other weapons he had to run.
His heart was thundering in his chest. The early threat had give him a small boost of adrenaline but fear was begin to settle back in. He was going to die alone in the woods to a horrid thing that wanted to earth his heart from his chest. And all because he had been over confident in his former abilities.
Jordan, you dickhead. If I ever see the light if day again. I promise never to lose my common sense again. Fuck, God. Somebody please. I dont want to die. I want to go home.
Home. Yes. Seeing his mother and greatgrandmother. Thats all he needed. The people he took for granted. That he even looked down on, like the rest of the family because he thought he was better. Because he was special.
He would never compete for attention ever again. Jordan swore it as the burn pain ing his right ankle brought spots to his vision.
Never again. He was done with trying to be special. He didint need accolades. He didint want fame. He just want to go home.
Jordan's breath grew in to short shuttering gasps. No, not yet. I still have...I can do this. Just a little further.
Jordan didnt see the forest falling away. He didnt see the confused glances or hear the shouts around him. In fact the shouts forced his body to move faster convince that thing had gotten closer and was using human like voice to distract him. Even as the bodies around ordered him to listen, Jordan ran blindly, so blindly he ran straight in to a solid pillar and collapsed.
His muscles contracted and tears bursts as the long abuse and sudden stop sent his body into shock. Jordan gasp for air in between is swallowed screams. He had to get up. He had to move. But his body refused. After straining against the ground his stomach cramped and blood spurred from his clenched teeth. What tripped down to his lungs was forced back up as his cough threatened to be the end of him.
Jordan felt the tears streaming and was dejected at his helplessness. His blood felt cold around in moth and in his veins. The hallow walls of the creature were close than his body shivered in harmony to each threat.
'Masha has found you. Masha will eat you. Masha will eat you all.'
He was going to die. Jordan cough and clawed and the ground beneath him. His vison came and went it flashes of orange and white thie shows in between. The creature wasnt going to eat him at once. Jordan eyes rolled to the back of his head and he felt his body being roughly gripped and shaken about.
Jordan didnt react. He couldn't everything he had went it to out running that thing. He still failed, no matter how hard he tried he always lost.
'Masha will not lose. Masha...huh Masha will feast. Masha will kill!'
"Please just lest me fucking rest already you goddamm cur."
The creature's call mixed in with softer shout was the last thing Jordan heard before deep sickening sounds of crushed bones and human screams filled his ears.