Chapter 2

Miles and miles of walking later, we step off of the barley visible path. They lock me in a crate with steel bars. Steel is very hard to come by so I wonder where they got this much of it. The bars are sturdy and spaced far enough away so that the Beast can get to me, but not far enough for me to slip through them. They taunt me. They couldn’t have at least made it all closed do that I can’t see the monster before I’m eaten by it. I’m sure the Beast would have found a way to open it still.

I close my eyes tightly. Just happen soon, I pray. Don’t make me wait for long. Get it over with. 

I don’t know how long I sit there with my eyes closed, ready for my flesh to be ripped open. Now. I moment passes. Now. Another moment. How about: now. No? C’mon, Beast just hurry up with it.

So, to distract me from the boring wait to be eaten alive, I ponder why it was me. Fate has always been cruel, couldn’t it have cut me a break this once? And, I don’t know, let me live? Of course not. Welcome, to my rapidly ending life.

I hear a twig snap a few feet away and close my eyes tighter. Silence. It couldn’t have been anything but the Beast. Nothing else lived near here. The Beast had either scared them all of or eaten them, so no rabbit of squirrel. So why was the Beast waiting to kill me.

The cage jiggles a bit and the breath escapes my lungs. And for some reason, such as being petrified, I can’t inhale. This is it.

“D****t.” A male voice mutters under his breath. WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?  Against my better judgment, I tentively open one eye. Standing out side my deathbed is a tall guy about my age with shaggy black hair, tan skin, and dark eyes. He fiddles with the bolt. “This stupid latch!”

“Who are you?” I ask. Okay, not the most imaginative thing I could have come up with.

He looks up at me quickly “I’m the guy that is about to save your sorry behind.” He looks back down at the door. “As soon as I figure out how to work this thing.”

“Yeah, and I’m very grateful- but do you think you could hurry a bit? Considering that the alternative is us both getting eaten by a vicious beast.”

“You’re making me almost want to change my mind about rescuing you.”

“No! I mean�"please!”

“I was joking.” But I notice that his muscles are tense and he moves a little faster than he did. “C’mon, C’mon, C’mon.” he chants over and over to the latch. “Open up.” The latch obeys his command and with a click swings out wide. I stare at it in shock. I’m free.

He grabs my hand and drags my astonished body out of the cage that I should have died in. “Now is not the time to stop moving. You’ve had a loooooong break, now step it up.” He whispers sharply in my ear. This jolts me back into action and my brain restarts. Oh yeah, moving might be a good idea.

We run away. Well, really it’s more complicated than just a run. It had to be fast and basically silent, like you were stalking a deer. You just can’t run and snap every twig that you come by. Oh, and tripping is a big no-no.

I almost feel safe to talk again. Almost. Maybe in a few more miles I’ll get some answer. For now, I need to be content with running for my life. Oh joy.

Eventually we come to a mutual agreement to stop. I’m gasping for breath as I lean against a tree and slowly slip into sitting position. I start to hyperventilate. I was all ultra-suave-like when I was about to die and now that I’m saved I freak out. I now understand why guys always say that girls are hard to figure out. Well they’re not exactly black and white either.

“Are you okay?” My rescuer was going into that panic mode that I’ve seen many many guys slip into when a girl is crying and they don’t know how to comfort her ‘cause they’re, well, guys. And so far none of those crying girls have been me. Until now.

Needless to say, I didn’t react well to his confusion. I flipped. “Am I okay? Do you think I’m okay? Do I look okay? No! I was almost eaten alive and you ask me if I am okay?!”

“Well, what am I supposed to say?” He asks

“How about something reassuring. Like: ‘It’s all going to be okay’ or ‘I won’t let you get eaten’. Not ‘are you okay’!”

He squats down next to me, grabs my shoulders, and looks me directly in the eyes. His eyes are reallllly dark. Like, so dark you almost can’t see the pupil, dark. “I’m not gonna let you be eaten.” He says slowly and carefully. He holds me there a little while longer so that he’s sure he got the point across. Then he let’s me go, stands up, and backs up a step.

I, once again, am stunned. So I say the most intelligent thing I can think of at the moment, “Um, thanks.” There is a beat of silence before I continue. “And�"uh�"I’m sorry for freaking out on you.”

“No problem, I get it. It’s sorta been a stressful day on your part.”

“Yah, just a bit. Nothing that a sixteen-year-old girl can’t handle.”

“I’m sure.” Another beat of silence. “Well time to get going. I rather not be Beast-chow. Just saying.” He reaches down and offers me his hand. I grab it and he pulls me to my feat. Into the wilderness we go! 

Reviews

[Pencrafter]

You have good imagination and can relate a story. Let me just point out a few minor corrections and practical suggestions you might want to consider. In the very first line you use the word 'barley', which is a grain, but probably meant 'barely'. And in the first paragraph, about the sixth sentence, you write "They couldn’t have at least made it all closed do that I can’t see the monster before I’m eaten by it". You could possibly say, "They could have, at least, made it solid so that I couldn't see the monster". And in the third paragraph, second sentence, you say "I moment passes". Your probably meant "A moment". These kinds of adjustments you can catch by careful proofreading, maybe getting a friend to read it also, before posting. Otherwise, the readers stumble on the mistakes much like a hiker would trip over obstacles in a trail, detracting from the experience.

[JadeForever]

Near the end its he pulled me to my feet not feat. I love the second chapter and I am glad you explained her death well.

-Jade

[Krista Weiss]

Still love it! Please keep it going :))

[Legolas]

Great!!!!! It flows wonderfully:)

[shawlyn]

Hi Brooklyn,
Story is still going strong. Your conversation is good and flows well. Keep it up.
Regards
Shawlyn

[Holly]

Great job!

[Odayin]

Nice job so far, this plot definitely has potential, well I guess thats why you're going along with it and writing it eh? Well, keep it up, I like it, and you keep improving:)

[Lydia]

I really like it, and hope that you continue!

[Sophie]

his name might have been good to mention... and hers... but other than that, great chapter!

[Becky]

Next chapter? Soon? Please? I'll be super nice and give you popcorn and cookies.