Instantation

Chapter One

Thirst

Thick, opaque clouds congested the greenish sky, tall trees accenting the scenery with their sick limbs, stretching heavenward, like crippled fingers reaching out to snatch a newborn child from his mother's arms.

I collapsed.

I was a bird, a mouse, a deer bounding through the forest.

Fragments of memory blurred together, crushing and spinning within my thoughts. Delirious.

Hunger.

Sleep.

Sleep.

Voices.

Leaves. Movements.

Hands.

Hands touching me.

No time for sleep anymore.

I attacked.

A blur of motion, I sprang to my feet, launching myself at the human that had been crouched over me.

My mind whirred into motion, analyzing the situation.

Usually I attacked prey when it was least aware of me. However in these circumstances, it just wasn't possible.

Speed. Strength.

Those were the tactics I must use.

There was just one problem.

I panicked the instant my body crashed into the intruder.

My leap had not been nearly as forceful as I'd intended.

My body collided with the human's, but did little more than cause him to take a few steps back.

I quickly reeled back, dropping into a crouch several feet from the human. It was then that I managed to see him properly for the first time.

Though struggling to regain his balance from being attacked, I could see the human was in his late twenties by human standards, tall, with dark hair.

His skin was quite pale, as if he avoided being caught in the sunlight, and it gave off an eerie blue glow in the light of the moon overhead.

His eyes were a fierce blue-green, like the sky before a storm.

He rose to his full height, blinking, still looking at me- not fearfully, but curiously- and raised his dark brows.

"Well," he said simply. "That was unexpected."

The language seemed garbled to my ears, but the words filtered through me and registered just in time for me to see a flash of metal-

A knife.

My eyes narrowed, every ounce of my energy focusing on keeping track of his movements.

"Now, now, calm down." he murmured, his eyes flicking over me calculatingly. "Any valuables on you?"

I ignored his words, and garnered my strength.

Leap.

I tackled him to the ground this time, trying to pin him down, but he recovered quickly, slashing the blade across my forearm.

A feral scream of pain and anger flew past my lips, half the motivation behind the outcry fear of the disadvantage I'd put myself in.

Weariness.

So… tired.

He had me pinned to the ground as I'd intended to pin him, his knife hovering just above my neck, poised and steady.

Still. Be still.

It's so easy to be still when you're tired.

Like falling asleep…

He shook me.

"Speak."

I could not find words.

When had I spoken last?

He raised an eyebrow. "Nothing?" His grip on me grew lax, as if he were disappointed by my lack of an answer.

Flee.

I saw my chance and wriggled quickly out from underneath him.

He was on his feet before I could manage to get further away, and this time he was the one to initiate an attack.

Fight.

Diving at me, he grabbed my arm and flung me forcefully to the ground. I quickly rolled off the momentum he gave me, staggered a bit, but managed to end up in a low crouch.

Or flight?

He circled around me, and I followed him movement, analyzing his every move, struggling to maintain my mind in order to renew my waning strength.

"An interesting thing," he said, his voice almost accusing. "A girl, in the middle of the forest, appearing as though dead, and then attacking one who could perhaps help her."

He shook his head, and then feigned a lunge at me.

I instinctively tensed, baring my teeth at him.

He froze, staring at me, eyes wide in disbelief.

I knew instantly what he must have seen.

"What…" he breathed, staring at me as though transfixed.

My snarl melted into a smile. Mesmerize long enough and-

He abruptly snapped out of his haze and lunged at me, seized my wrist, and twisted sharply. I felt the bone snap under the pressure, and I screamed as pain shot like fire up my arm, numbing the limb.

Voice. Sound from my own throat.

I collapsed to my knees, the weakness plaguing me stronger than ever.

The man wrestled me to the ground.

I tried to throw him off me with my good arm and my legs, twisting my torso, writhing, trying desperately to injure him as my senses faded into thoughtless destruction.

The taste of blood revived me. I realized that somehow I'd managed to bite into his wrist, drawing blood.

My razor sharp teeth- fangs- sank deep into his veins.

Survival.

He tried to shake me off. I merely bit down harder, warm blood trickling down my mouth. I was about to get the sustenance I needed to be strong again.

Suddenly there was a pair of hands my neck, fingers digging cruelly into my skin, yanking me backward.

What? A second person?

The man threw me roughly to the ground as I was torn from his arm, leaving a trail of blood in my wake.

The hands on my neck threw me to the ground. The man leapt atop me to keep me pinned.

I never had the chance to use my refurbished strength.

Searing pain unleashed itself throughout my side as the blade of his knife tore through me. I cried out, and then stilled, painfully aware of my defeat as he held the knife poised above me.

I realized my cry had actually sounded somewhat human. What was this?

For a moment, all was still. I stared straight up at the sky dotted with silvery stars, not breathing; half hoping my time of death was finally upon me.

"There must be some kind of payment you can give me in return for your life." His voice was tight, yet somehow calculating. He drew in his breath in deep gasps.

I could do nothing. His words made sense to me, but their sound confused me. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been spoken to.

The tip of the man's knife pressed against my throat. I flattened myself to the ground, trying to avoid the sinister touch of the blade, but it was omnipresent.

"Don't kill it, Walker." My eyes flicked up to my captor.

Walker. He had a name.

If you have a name, you have a weakness.

He stared down at me expressionlessly, his dark hair plastered to his forehead.

I switched my gaze to his companion.

Though similarly tall and dark haired, the female did not seem to be related to Walker. Her features were distinctly different, of no resemblance to his.

"Come now, Walker persisted, keeping his attention on me. "Name the price you're going to pay for me allowing you to remain alive."

I felt a strange sensation in my throat. My tongue felt heavy as it struggled to form the word.

"Kill…"

Walker's brows lifted again, but he didn't slacken his grip on me. "What was that?"

I growled, a low snarl ripping from my lips, but then forced myself to concentrate. "Kill… m-me."

His eyes focused on mine, and I met his gaze fiercely.

"All right. I'm intrigued." Walker's voice was still severe, but now a touch of curiosity crept in as well. "Why?"

His companion sighed. I didn't bother to look at her. I was still stiff and tensed to attack because of instinct, but I could feel the adrenaline in my system wearing off moment by moment.

Walker seemed to sense my weariness, and a set expression settled upon his face.

Keeping the blade of his knife at my neck, he eased an arm around my back and hauled me into a seated position.

I kept my body tense, but could not summon the strength to resist him. I was as limp as a corpse in his arms, a smoldering fury growing in my chest.

But I was fading fast.

I felt Walker shake me slightly, heard and saw his mouth form words, but I could not make sense of them anymore.

Which direction was the sky?

I couldn't tell.

My head was spinning.

I felt the brief sensation of Walker's arms gathering me up like a bundle, a child.

Then I felt nothing.