Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Hollow City (Part 5)

The lithe figure atop the stone outcropping rose slightly into a rigid crouch, clinging tightly to his makeshift knife in one gnarled, greasy fist. His prey moved ever closer, step by painstaking step. His breathing quickened unconsciously as he prepared for his ambush. Closer and closer, only a few more steps stood between him and his next meal. A bead of sweat rolled from his ragged brow, stinging his eye as he waited in tense silence for just a moment longer.

When the plump creature was nearly beneath his hiding place, he hurled himself from his hiding place. He plummeted directly onto his victim, his bare feet crashing down on the creature's shoulders and sending them both sprawling to the ground from the force of the impact. He landed hard, spread-eagle in the middle of the narrow road. His bone knife skittered away across the rugged stone pavement. Flipping himself over nimbly, he saw his target rising unsteadily to its feet. With a ferocious snarl, he launched himself at the fat form, tackling it to the ground. They rolled off the path into the thick weeds on the shoulder, gouging and grappling with one another as each struggled to climb on top of his opponent.

Suddenly a terrific blow caught him in the gut, knocking the breath from his lungs. Small spots of color began to swirl across his vision as he gasped desperately for air. He felt dizzy, he head swimming through a sea of blackness, accompanied by twirling neon glimmers. No longer could he even tell if he was being struck, as his consciousness wavered and his flesh began to grow numb. His head limply fell back into the brush, and all the world fell silent.

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