5 Chapter 5 No Luck Hell (2/2)
Things were coming.Jumping up, he grabbed the body, and headed over to the bike.He looked over it quickly, grabbing several things, before disappearing into the brush.Running ten yards or so, he paused to search the body for anything that might be salvageable.The smell of blood was intoxicating, and he knew he couldn't take the body any further.Ripping a piece of fabric from the guys shirt, he wiped as much of the blood off himself, as he could.The same type of creature that had died to the vines, would come for him again.
As that thought entered his mind, he considered something.Glancing around, he saw several trees that he could recognize by now that were not dangerous.He would climb high enough they couldn't get him, and take the time to watch them.He might learn something.
Besides, he was too tired to run away from them this time.
Climbing the tree closest to the body, he stopped as soon as the things drew close.They were following the smell of blood.
Each one that entered the clearing had the same features as the first one he had encountered.Four eyes studied their surroundings, spying the body quickly, and even him, high in the tree.The largest watched him, pausing for a moment, until it was certain he wasn't moving, before continuing to the body.He found it interesting that the eyes could move independently so that one eye remained on him at all times.
The other two were smaller, their fur not changing colors as they moved. He realized, with a jolt, that this was a family.The two small ones nuzzled the larger one, and it snarled at them.They mewled, pitifully, as it went over to the body and ripped it apart.They nuzzled it for a bit, before they finally figured out how to eat it.Then, once it was gone, they licked each of their six paws, as if not to miss a single morsel.
He studied their every movement from the time they entered the clearing, until they left, unsatisfied from the paltry meal.Could the larger one, that had died, have been a parent?Maybe the mother, since they still wanted to nurse?
Shaking his head, he didn't care.It was time to move again.He had to find some place he could sleep.
Moving as silently and stealthily as he could, Dustin traveled for several more hours before he finally found a place he thought might work.He was so tired by this time, that if it didn't work, and he got eaten, he probably wouldn't know it.
A tree had fallen, taking several others with it.There was a wonderful hollow, for him to crawl into, but as he went to investigate, a hiss filled the area.He barely fell back onto his butt, to avoid getting bit.The snake had arms??
Rising up, it flared out a white hood, that had huge midnight black eye spots.Dustin was too tired to react before it bit him this time.As the fangs slid into his chest, he grabbed its neck, far behind the venom sac, and squeezed.It flailed, grabbing him with its arms, and wrapping itself around him.He grinned and bared his teeth, then squeezed and twisted, flexing every muscle he had, to rip the fangs out of his chest.
SNAP.
It stopped moving, but Dustin didn't notice.He was too busy scraping its blood, flesh, bone, scales, whatever, off his hand into the port of his PED.
(GENETIC MATERIAL ACQUIRED.BEGINNING ANALYSIS)
(AVAILABLE EVOLUTIONS: CLINGING, CONSTRICTION ATTACK, ENHANCED REFLEXES, FLEXIBILITY, VENOM BITE, VENOM IMMUNITY)
”Initiate evolution,” he whispered, falling back, not even aware of the options.The venom was shutting down his system.His vision was going black, and he knew that he was spasming.
(EVOLUTION INITIATED)