Selling Myself To The Hunter

Chapter 3

Dahlia

There was light, and then there wasn't. And then there was what felt like an endless falling into an abyss. I screamed, but no sound came out. I was in complete and utter darkness, free-falling into a pit of death. It was humid and uncomfortable, or was it ice-cold? My stomach was in my chest, and all I could do was pray that the impact would kill me instantly. I was sure it would, it felt like we had been falling for forever. Or at least I was. I didn't see where Toby or that woman, Sera...Sera-something went.

I continued to scream, especially as I began to see green appear beneath me, quickly approaching. Dead, I was dead. There was no way around it. My eyes slammed shut, not wanting to see my own demise. God, just let it be quick. Please be quick. I felt something bite into my skin as I continued my descent. My eyes shot open as the pain set in, a shrill scream escaping. This time I heard my own voice. Were those tree branches?!

My body ricocheted off of at least a dozen trees, some with palm leaves, others with nothing but the unforgiving branches themselves. I saw stars with every hit, but, with each impact, my falling slowed. Kind of. I landed on the mossy ground with a sickening thud, my body refusing to move. Or maybe it couldn't. I was shaking so viciously, adrenaline rushing through my veins, my heart hammering in my chest.

Wherever I was, it smelled. It was something unearthly and potent, a smell I don't think I'll soon forget. It was eerily quiet around me, though I was just the one screaming like a mad woman for god knows how long. I probably scared everything off. Was that a good or bad thing?

With my eyes screwed shut, I tested my fingers first, then my toes. I dared to crack open an eye as I eased onto my back and slowly checked myself over for any breaks. I was definitely bleeding, I could feel the sharp slicing pain on my back, my skimpy nightgown torn in several places. Breathing hurt, so maybe I had a broken rib or two, but otherwise I think I was okay. Minutes passed before I carefully sat up and blinked a few times, trying to figure out where on earth I was.

It looked like the middle of a jungle. Massive trees and overgrown plants surrounded me. It was so thick; I wasn't sure anyone had ever even set foot here. And it was so, so humid. It felt hard to breathe. There was an eerie gray fog that prevented me from seeing too far ahead in any direction, and I'm pretty sure I saw a few bugs as big as my face zooming by. Maybe I did have a concussion.

With a deep breath and all my willpower, I finally got up on my shaky legs. Crap. I was barefoot. My feet were already wet and muddy from the marshy ground. But that seemed to be the least of my problems at the moment. Where the hell was I?!

"Toby?!" I called, my voice uneven. "Toby?!"

I could hear some movement, but it was hard to tell where it was coming from. I took a careful, achy step forward, trying to preserve my feet and go easy on my achy body. "Babe? Is that you?" I asked.

"Sure, I can be your babe." A deep, menacing voice laughed from behind me. "Whatever you want, beautiful."

I nearly jumped out of my skin, whipping around to face the terrifying creature behind me. It sounded like a man, but looked like a beast. He had horns, and fur, and a sword bigger than my body. He reeked of filth and had blood staining his furry arms up to his elbows and around his maw. My eyes went wide in fear as I sucked in a sharp breath that had my ribs yelling in protest.

"Run." The creature whispered, his teeth stained red. I didn't hesitate.

Breaking out into a sprint that had my body screaming in agony, I tore my way through the dense forest, tripping over my own damn feet and logs and rocks as I went. I could hear the monster gaining on me from behind, laughing at me and mocking me for being so slow. Something-his sword-whipped past my head, slicing the top of my ear, and I dared to glance behind. It nearly cost me my life. I ran straight into the biggest plant I had ever seen. But it was no ordinary plant... it was... what the hell was that?!

It blended in with the forest. The only reason I saw it was because I was directly beneath it and could see it moving, its camouflage lacking from below, exposing its bright yellow underbelly. I could see its sharp fangs and the unnaturally colored spit dripping from its mouth as it moved. Whatever this monstrosity of a plant was, it looked carnivorous. I wanted to scream, but my complete and utter shock prevented me.

"You call that a chase? Ha!" The bull-like creature laughed, just before the plant with sharp teeth snatched him up into its mouth, his screams muffled. There were a few sickly sounding crunches and then a fountain of red that slid down the plant's mouth.

I covered my mouth to muffle the scream that had nearly escaped, just before turning to run in a different direction. My heart was racing, my lungs burning, my body aching. But I didn't dare stop. Not for a moment. Not until I found somewhere safe. There had to be somewhere safe...

"Oof!" I exclaimed, running into someone. I let out a sigh, seeing the man in a loin cloth standing in front of me, his back to me. "Excuse me, sir?" I asked, getting back up on my feet, beginning to beg. "I have no idea where I am or how I got here, but I could really use some help-"

He turned around to face me and my face fell. He at least looked like a man, but he only had one eye. One giant eye that bore into me with a cynical look. "A human. How unusual."

My mouth opened and shut as the horror set in. His gravelly laugh told me all I needed to know - I needed to move.

"We got a runner!" He bellowed, and soon there were multiple sets of footsteps rushing after me.

"Help!! Someone please help me!!" I begged anyone decent who might be listening.

I continued to rush through the forest, the unforgiving ground tearing open my feet, bushes and branches seeming to reach for me, marring my skin, slowing me down. The laughter behind me is what kept me going, fighting past all the pain. My eyes darted around, seeking shelter or help of any kind. Nothing for a few long moments, but then there! Up ahead was a bridge. I nearly wept. Maybe if I could cross it I could lose them. It looked questionable enough that perhaps it might support me but not them; the rapids below looked unforgiving. But even if I wasn't a strong swimmer, crossing was a risk I was willing to take.

I soon discovered that the bridge was made of old rope and some log slabs. I felt like I was on a game show, trying to cross without falling off. The bridge swayed, even more so when the men chasing me started to cross, and I stumbled twice, but by some miracle, I made it.

But so did they, and they were gaining on me despite all my efforts.

"Anyone, please!!" I sobbed, my legs ready to give out as I continued to run. I should never have given up track in high school.

No sooner did the words leave my mouth did a giant brown dog - no - wolf jump for me. I ducked down, covering my head and bracing for impact. But instead, it landed on the creature chasing me, ripping it limb from limb. Friend or foe? I don't know, but I certainly wasn't sticking around to find out. I broke out into another sprint, far from the cries of the beasts behind me.

I decided that keeping my mouth shut was the better option as I navigated through the density of the jungle. My speed slowed but never stopped as the voices behind me grew quiet. A hiding place. That's what I needed. I looked to my right and saw jungle. To my left, more jungle. Maybe if I followed the path of the water, it would lead me to a cave where I could stay hidden long enough to figure out what to do next. At the very least, I would be close to running water. Water was good, water was essential. That's what the guys at the outdoors shop I work at like to say. When in doubt, follow the river. Yeah, that's what I'll do, I'll just circle back and-

"Hey, you okay?" A female's voice called softly.

My head whipped in her direction; my eyes wide as I took in the first normal looking person here. She looked young, probably in her early twenties, and had beautiful auburn-colored hair and hazel eyes. She was slender and on the shorter side, but that did nothing to her jaw-dropping beauty. She wore a pair of green cargo pants and a cream-colored tank top, both of which hugged her subtle curves in a very alluring way. Hidden between several trees, I quickly went to her.

"No I am not okay! I need help! I don't know where I am or where my boyfriend is-" I began to rant and then cry.

"Whoa, it's okay, I can help you." The girl said with a smile, wrapping her tattooed arm around mine. "Come with me. I'll get you taken care of."

"Thank you." I sobbed, clinging to her like my life depended on it.

"Stay quiet, we have a little bit of a trek." She warned, and I dared not question her.

Not after everything I just witnessed and experienced. I might have thought I was in an awful dream had I not felt the chill on my back from my own blood clotting and cooling on my skin. My mind began to race as the lines between what was real and what wasn't began to blur. My father used to read me stories at bedtime about all kinds of myths and legends and monsters, and I thought it to be nothing more than fun entertainment, but now? Now, I wonder if even the wildest stories barely scratch the surface of what’s out there.

- - - - -

Zorra - that was her name - led the way, her hand firmly gripping my arm, guiding me every step of the way. She was quick and nimble, and made sure our path kept us free from any unwanted attention. She was someone I could benefit from learning from in a place like this. We briskly walked for over two hours, probably closer to three, before I began stumbling over my feet in need of a break. The jungle was dense and filled with horrible sounding creatures. I felt like it had a mind of its own given all the times the branches seemed to grab at me, or perhaps it was just because of the terrible routes Zorra kept taking. I noticed that she refused to go through any clearing, any open path. She herself was near silent as she passed through the bushes, another attribute that I could afford to learn. I felt like a bull in a china shop with how much noise I was making by comparison.

I would have complimented Zorra, but she kept shushing me and shooting me disapproving glances at every small noise I made. I think she could sense me about to beg to stop when she finally spoke again.

"My camp is just up ahead."

Thank god. I nodded my appreciation and we kept going. Except, I do believe her definition of 'up ahead' and mine were very different. I expected another minute, maybe five, ten at the most. But after what felt to be another hour, I finally yanked my arm free.

"Where are you taking me?" I quietly hissed.

"There." The girl pointed. And sure enough, up ahead was a small camp.

My shoulders slumped in relief and I felt a bit guilty for snapping at the girl. She was the one helping me after all. I shouldn't bite the hand that's feeding me, so to speak. As we closed the distance, I looked over her camp. It was humble. A small fire pit, a log that looked like it was being used as a chair, and a lean-to that was covered in so much foliage, I wouldn't have known it was there had I not been looking for it. There were several piles like that, in fact, that had been covered in makeshift nets made of foliage or massive tropical leaves, covering god knows what.

"You did well." Zorra smiled deviously. "That was a hard trek for a human."

"Uh, thanks." I frowned, her wording striking me as odd. "What is this place? Where is this place?"

"Like you don't know," Zorra snorted. "Let's get you cleaned up."

I might have objected, had she not given me a water skin to drink from. As I began gulping that down, she helped tend to my back while I warmed my feet by the fire she had made. Zorra then offered me some berries to eat, which I devoured in no time. She gave me a once over after that, checking for any breaks or other fatal injuries, and seemed satisfied when she found none.

"You look good." She nodded. "You should fetch a good bounty."

"I- excuse me?" I frowned, my vision blurring.

"Sorry hun, its survival of the smartest down here." She shrugged.

"What- what are you talking about?" I asked, the forest beginning to spin.

I blinked rapidly and moved to stand when Zorra placed her hands on my shoulders, coaxing me to sit again.

"It's nothing personal, you wouldn't have lasted long down here anyway."

"What did you do-" I began to ask, a wave of nausea rushing through me.

"It's the berries." She said, tucking my hair behind my ear, lowering me onto a blanket of some sort. My body didn't respond to any of my silent commands to get up and move. I couldn't even put up a fight. I just fell into her trap. "They are packed with a natural sedative that will keep you out long enough for me to take you to the trading post. It's best if you don't fight it, it'll only make you feel worse."

"W-why?" I asked, my eyes closing and refusing to open again.

"You seem nice, hopefully someone decent will purchase you... but I doubt it."

Purchase me?!

Dread was the last thing I remembered feeling before I fell into oblivion.