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Post by Melissa|Tristan on Jul 3, 2009 15:54:54 GMT -5
Caleb looked vaguely disappointed by Melissa's lack of weapons skill. Truth be told, Melissa had never used a weapon for anything before. She'd learned archery at a summer camp when she was 15, but that was about the extent of it. Melissa considered herself a fairly unagressive person, unless someone seriously ticked her off. She definitely had never used a gun, knife or any other sharp object offensively before. Right now didn't seem like a good time to learn either.
She glanced behind her in time to see Caleb's mouth hanging open. Perhaps in Japan it wasn't customary for a girl to fight. Since he obviously wasn't able to right now, someone had to do it. Besides, she was more worried about his knee, and what possible damage a conflict could cause him. Turning her attention back to the front, Mel noted that the glowing eyes were large; not a squirrel or a bunny rabbit, you could be sure. Numbly, Melissa stared at the two cougars that came loping out of the bushes in front of them. Why me? Why now? Why couldn't they wait until tomorrow? The tawny hides appeared grey in the darkness, and the eyes flashed in the firelight. Mel distinctly heard the low rumbles of their growls, and her talisman urged her to return the menacing noises.
"Mel, put you down." What? Once again, Melissa's inner translator had no clue what Caleb was trying to say. His hushed tone and gentle hold on her wrists gave her the message loud and clear though. Mel carefully held her body still, something that she found easy now, since cheetahs did it when hunting. Freeze to turn invisible to the prey. She studied them now, the two large cats. One was female, the other male; mates for this season. Either that, or two people in talisman form travelling or hunting together. Either way, they could very possibly be dead by morning. She didn't know which she'd prefer, given the current options. Cougars were powerful cats, weighing more than cheetahs, but they were also incredibly stupid. Hopefully that would weigh in their favour.
Mel tried to do as Caleb asked, really she did, but as soon as the bigger cougar, the male started coming closer and eying Caleb with a hungry expression, she couldn't hold it in any longer. A long, drawn out growl rumbled from inside Mel's chest, warning to the two cats not to come any closer. That gave them pause; both stopped moving forward for a second to stare at them some more before they came even closer.
That was it for Melissa's sef control. As much as she really wanted to listen to Caleb's advice, she couldn't let them get any closer to him. They'd already smelled the blood from his wound - hers too- and wouldn't leave until made to leave. Sinking down into a careful crouch, Melissa carefully released her cheetah. Short, sandy coloured fur quickly spread over her entire body, with black spots scattered across her pelt. Her hands and feet turned into doglike paws, with her semi-retractable claws extended as far as they would go. Powerful jaws opened as she bared her teeth at the agressors, and continued to growl at them. She turned to Caleb, trying to reassure him that she wouldn't let them hurt him.
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Post by DesperateDark on Jul 7, 2009 18:07:23 GMT -5
It became obvious that Melissa didn't want to back down; she stayed frozen in place, staring out at the two cougars. He didn't hear or see what Melissa did, but the two big cats stopped for a second before continuing to advance. He took his eyes off her for only a moment to grab his bag, but when he looked back up at her, the last touches of cheetah were already being applied. She was growling, then she turned around to give him a look. He froze at that instant, his deer talisman was more then a bit of convinced that they had just been targeted and the whole thing was a setup. Had Melissa been a Hunter this whole time? If she had been, he was in deep trouble this time.
Caleb chewed at his lip nervously, backing away from the two cougars and Melissa. With a bit of effort, he managed to get one leg -- the one that wasn't injured -- under him so he could get up quickly if needed. However, he realized there was barely a point if he could get up quickly but not get away. He just sat there and stared, trying to think of something that he could do to get out of the situation. He grabbed at his bag again, and it slipped from his hands the first time, prompting one of the cougars, the larger one, to point it's attention to him instead of Melissa. He grabbed at his bag again as the larger cougar slowly approached him, watching his movements curiously. Caleb's hands were shaking as he glanced back and forth between his bag and the large animal nearly staring him down.
Thankfully, he found what he was looking for. As a precaution, and maybe from paranoia, Caleb always brought a few metsubushi with him just in case. He pulled one out, it looked like a painted black chicken egg, and gingerly wrapped his fingers around it. He could already identify that it was full of ashes by how the weight shifted inside the shell. He looked up to find himself almost face to face with the cougar, and he sucked in a breath and held it. This wasn't going to end pretty.
A soft breeze began to blow and shifted some of his hair in front of his eyes. He bit his lip again, wondering what to do, before I said in a hushed, shaky tone; "Help?" His talisman once again hissed at him, telling him that it was all a setup and Melissa had framed him. He didn't exactly want to believe it, but he had doubts popping up in his mind. It was a bad day all around for him, and it showed.
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Post by Melissa|Tristan on Jul 8, 2009 15:49:21 GMT -5
Despite Caleb appearing to be frozen in place, Melissa wasn't as immobilized. In fact, shifting had allowed her to finally clear her thoughts and focus on the task at hand. Despite her extreme misgivings towards harming any living thing, it was a dog eat dog world out there, and she was sure that the cougars wouldn't extend the same courtesy to them. Mel didn't like to imagine something bad was going to happen, but in this case it seemed inevitable.
Caleb was moving away from her now, slowly pulling his injured limb with him. What? No! What was he doing? The expression on Caleb's face frightened her more than the cougars. He looked scared of something, and just to make sure she checked behind her. Nope. Nothing there. So that means . . . Wait! Was he frightened of . . .of her? Surely not! She hadn't done a single thing to harm him, and had in fact saved his life. Had she wanted him dead, she could simply have allowed him to drown in the lake. Surely he knew that she wouldn't dream of harming him!
Caleb had stopped moving, apparently unable to go any farther with his injury. The male cougar was stalking him, crouched low to the ground, even though it was obvious that Caleb saw it. Amateurs. Mel wanted to shake her head, but that would draw attention to herself, something she didn't need right now. Caleb was rummaging through his bag again -shocker- and finally pulled out something that looked like a black chicken egg. Melissa had grown up on a farm, so she knew that chicken eggs weren't black, and it didn't smell like an egg either. To . . . sooty.
The female cougar had backed off, but hadn't by any means left them yet. She had seemed to take Melissa's growls personally, and hissed back in response. The message was clear, but Melissa wasn't one who usually took hints anyways. No way was Caleb becoming their meal. They would have to find dinner elsewhere. A movement out of the corner of her eye caught Mel's attention, and she whirled in time to see the male cougar spring into the air, aiming for Caleb. No! In another millisecond she had leapt at him, catching him in midair. She was much closer to Caleb now, close enough to smell his uncertainty and fear. Wishing that she could reassure him, the sandy, spotted body hit the tawny, coarse-haired other body with a crunch. Next time she went for a walk, Mel was going to bring Advil.
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Post by DesperateDark on Jul 11, 2009 20:00:55 GMT -5
Breathe in, breathe out, don’t die, repeat. Breath in, breath out, don’t di-holy crap it was coming! The larger cougar, out of absolutely nowhere, pounced at him. He panicked a bit at that second and smacked it with the wrong hand. He used his empty hand instead of the one holding something he could actually defend himself with and slapped the cougar across the face. It closed its jaws around his hand and, before it could rip his hand off, something slammed into its side and sent it sprawling over.
It was Melissa. She had lunged at the large cat and knocked it over so it wouldn’t land right onto him. Caleb quickly scrambled to his feet, unsure of what to do once he was up. The smaller of the two cougars, probably a female, decided for him. She dove for him while Melissa was distracted with the other one, grabbing his shoulders like she was his partner in a dance. He could feel her claws stabbing through his thin t-shirt and into his flesh, her fangs right at his face. In an instant his hand flew to the side of her face as if to slap the female, the delicate shell of the egg crushed under the force and sending ashes flying into both their faces. She let out a shriek right into his ears and possibly busting both his eardrums in the process before seeming to shove all her weight into him, toppling the young man over and right into the dirt.
Only now did Caleb realize he was screaming because it was becoming extremely painful to breath; the impact must’ve broken a rib or five. The female’s face was shoved right in his, her expression clearly one of fury. A flash in the corner of his eye told him that something was coming for him. Either Melissa, which was more favorable, or the larger cougar. The only thoughts going through his head right now was something along the lines of I’m gonna die, am I? There was really so much he wanted to do before he died, and he couldn’t help but think about that now.
He started screaming and swearing wildly in Japanese when the cougar on him clawed rather agonizingly slowly in the shoulders and chest, shredding up his shirt in the process. His talisman basically threw his hooves in the air and went ‘enough of this shit’ as he took over. Within half a minute, a dark brown deer was kicking and squealing underneath a hundred pound cat, using his horns and hooves for defense.
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Post by Melissa|Tristan on Jul 13, 2009 12:38:38 GMT -5
In a second, the tables turned, giving the cougars the advantage. Melissa hoped that by now Caleb had figured out that she wasn’t going to hurt him, or that the cougars were the bigger threat for the moment. Either way, it didn’t matter; they worked together, or they were dead meat. Literally. The male cougar was heavier than she’d anticipated. She did manage to knock him off balance in his leap, but once they landed she knew that he had the advantage. And that wasn’t even including the female, who was viciously attacking Caleb currently. The male cougar softened her fall, but he also managed to twist around in midair. It was a cat thing, being able to land on your feet, and a very back corner of Melissa’s mind wondered if she was able to do that too. Hmmm . . . she’d definitely have to try it sometime. Don’t. Lose. Focus.
Upon reminding herself, Mel got a pawful of sharp claws in the face. With a yowl, she shoved off of him, digging her claws into him in the process. This elicited a howl from him, and the attention of his mate too, for a split-second. That split-second was enough for Caleb to do something with the funny smelling egg, breaking it on the female’s face. Oddly enough, the female’s tortured shrieks were very satisfying. It hinted that perhaps the couple would give up and move on to find more cooperative prey. Unfortunately, Caleb’s magic egg only seemed to make the female more angry, and like the saying went, Hell hath no fury like a woman. Yikes! He’s in trouble. At least Caleb had the sense to drop the bag and shift; it would confuse the female, and now that he was bigger than her she’d be more intimidated by him.
The male cougar had gotten up close to her, too close, and now he jumped. She gave a warning snarl, but it was unwarranted, since his leap carried him . . . past her? He headed for the deer and his mate, ignoring her almost completely; he looked arrogantly over his shoulder one last time as though to say she wasn’t worth their time. They’d decided that Caleb was the real prey, not Melissa, and though they’d never seen a deer like him before, they had hunted native deer successfully. This would be no different, if there was no further intervention on her part. To ensure that, he sent another warning hiss her way, causing a ripple of anger to run through her body. Who did he think he was to boss her around? Melissa wished that Aras was there with his gun, but there was little to no chance of that happening. This time she was on her own.
Caleb’s horns and hooves were flailing wildly, giving the cougars no openings for the moment. The male had his back to her, completely exposed, and in one sprint and a leap she was on him, biting through his shoulder blades. It was sickening how her teeth neatly cut straight through his flesh, hitting bone within seconds. Blood covered her face like a mask, the flash of eyes the only hint at how angry she was. He writhed, clawing her off his back, and she clamped her jaws around his windpipe, allowing the cheetah’s instincts to take over completely as she suffocated him. He managed to get another couple of swipes at her in before the lack of oxygen became apparent. He obviously had never hunted his prey in this manner, being the kind to make them bleed to death instead. Her eyes remained focused on his face as she waited for the light to fade from his eyes as they glazed over, becoming unfocused as he slowly died. She remained crouched there, unaware of what else was going on, disgusted with herself and what she was doing. As the enormity of it sunk in Melissa’s whole body began to shake, like earthquakes were tearing her up inside. Oh God, what am I doing? With a jerking motion she released the male cougar, withdrawing into herself, not knowing whether he was alive or dead.
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Post by DesperateDark on Jul 14, 2009 16:16:53 GMT -5
"Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap I'm gonna die!" was really the only thoughts going through his mind right now. He didn't particularly care what was happening at the moment, as long as he was able to get out of it alive, he was good. With a hard kick, he bashed the female in the face with his hoof and somehow managed to slip out from underneath her bulk. Wide-eyed with panic, he glanced around to see Melissa had bit down on the larger male's throat and he seemed to be pretty much dead already. He could only stop and stare numbly, she didn't seem at all like the kind of person who would do something like that. Ah, if only somebody stumbled across this scene right about now, it'd be all over the news tomorrow.
Caleb's pelt was turning a rusty brown and red colour from his wounds, but for now, he'll live. What he needed to do, though, was get both himself and Melissa out of here and to somewhere where crazy, rabid animals wouldn't be attacking them. What was next, bears? Wolves? Nine-tailed kitsunes!? Knock on wood, of course, but still. He ran forward and grabbed Melissa's cheetah form my the scruff with his teeth, grunting and trying to drag her away. She had slumped back, letting go of the male with a look on her face that he could just barely read in the chaos. He tried to tell her to come with him, to get away, but all that came from his throat were clumsy and a little less then graceful grunts. He could only drag her a few feet before she grew too heavy for him. Caleb kicked at her gently to get her attention, and when that didn't work as well as he thought, ran a full circle around her and squealed in her ear.
The female seemed to have her wits back about her once she shook off the 'being kicked in the face by an unidentified deer' part and was slowly stalking towards both of them once again. He froze to the spot in panic for a moment, unable to figure out what to do, before his talisman decided that waiting around for him all day was going to result in getting himself killed. Before he could even get out Melissa's name, his body had broken out into a sprint right into a denser part of the woods. Caleb no longer had control over his body, his talisman had taken over for him in a fight or flight moment, and deer were definitely more known for flight. He could only hope that Melissa would come after him, or if she would be okay on her own. If he didn't see her again during the night, he would check into the clinic tomorrow to see if she was there and get some help for himself as well.
He had not the slightest of clues how long he'd been running for, but he had started to feel weak and light headed by the time he was able to slow down. He slumped to the ground behind some bushes and tried to keep a watch out in case the cougars come back or Melissa appeared, which he really hoped she would. After what seemed like half an hour of waiting, he slowly got up on wobbly legs and began to walk around, avoiding the general area he came from and heading in the direction of the clinic, hoping to find Melissa there.
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Post by Melissa|Tristan on Jul 14, 2009 18:30:03 GMT -5
The utter shock that Melissa felt at what she'd just done was astounding. No longer even aware of what was going on around her, she withdrew into herself until she couldn't feel anything. What have I done? Mel was so deep in herself that she was unaware of Caleb's desperate struggle with the female cougar. All she kept seeing was the male cougar's face, and all she kept feeling was his throat in her mouth. It made her want to gag, and she would have if Caleb hadn't grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and started dragging her away.
He was surprisingly gentle for all the damage that he could be doing. Even in his panic, he was still careful with her. Until she didn't respond that is. Though being dragged across the ground hurt her, it also gave Melissa the prodding she needed to snap out of her stupor. After being kicked by one of his hooves, it felt like her world had been turned on end. She yelped in pain as it hit a tender spot in her side before screaming at him. Why are you attacking me? I thought we were friends! Now on top of everything that had just happened, Caleb was attacking her! It must be karma getting back at her for running away from home and not telling her father where she was.
As Caleb squealed and frantically ran circles around her, Melissa became more aware of her surroundings again. To her amazement, the male cougar had sat up and was shaking himself off, a confused expression on his face for a second until he realized what had happened. As his mate changed course to check him over, Melissa took the opportunity to slowly pull herself away. She had reached the edge of the clearing when both cougars turned to face her. Oh god, not again. Now that she knew her mate was alright, the female appeared to be ready to attack her again. The male however, eyed her respectfully and backed off until he was on the other side of the clearing before disappearing into the trees. With a hiss, the female slowly followed, not taking her eyes off Melissa until she too disappeared into the trees.
Though she wanted so badly to drop where she stood, Mel knew that it wouldn't be wise. Instead she took off in the same direction Caleb had, going as fast as she could in her condition. Compared to her normal fastest pace, this was torturously slow, but it was the best she could manage at the moment. After loping in Caleb's direction for quite some time, she found a divet in the ground and collapsed into it, shifting back into a human. Before she could do anything, hot tears began to fall fast, and she was soon gasping for air. Unable to stop, even to puke, she did both at the same time, then continued to cry for some time until oblivion began to claim her. Where was Caleb, and why had he taken off on her? As her sobs gradually quieted, she hoped that Caleb would find her, or she him so that they could sort out what had happened together. It was mere hours from dawn when Melissa passed out . . . alone.
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Post by DesperateDark on Jul 17, 2009 22:05:33 GMT -5
Caleb continued limping through the woods, sure of his direction towards town but unsure of where exactly he was. And, what could me more or less important, where the heck was Melissa? She should have come this way, or he should have bumped into her again on his walk back. However, as he limped along, she was nowhere to be seen. He tried to keep an eye out, but in his ailing state, he was almost unable to do so, using up all his energy trying to stay upright and vertical. At last, nearing the main town, Caleb shifted back into his human form and proceeded to fall on his face twice before finally getting himself to the Noatak Clinic. He was bleeding heavily from the cougar attack and his breathing had turned into gasping as he was finally able to shove the glass doors open. Thank god the health care in Noatak was dependable; the nurses rushed to him almost instantaneously.
Listening to the hasty nurses and trying to explain as much as he could in his broken English about the cougar attack and asking of Melissa was here, he was barely able to get a word in edgewise. The nurses yammered over him, shooting question after question in English, and he felt completely lost because he couldn’t understand a damn thing they were saying to him. The pain was making his mind foggy and their attention put him under pressure, which was never a good combination. It was general panic and chaos all around him, with medical equipment and questions as they tried to patch him up before he bled out and trying to figure out if his broken ribs would injure him any further.
He had absolutely no idea when he passed out from his exhaustion, but when he woke up again it was only two or three hours before sunrise. His knee and chest were burning like crazy, and his shoulders weren’t doing too hot either. His chest was wrapped up in clean white bandages, and so was his knee to keep it from getting infected any further. However, he wasn’t thinking about any of that right now. As soon as he woke up, the first thing he could think of was whether Melissa got here safe or not. He got up rather slowly, cringing at the sharp protest of his muscles and aching everything before somehow getting himself out of his room and to the receptionist desk.
“Is… Eh, M-Mel arrive?” He managed to stutter in broken English.
“Excuse me? I didn’t quite get that, deary. You’re English isn’t the best, hm?” After a few more tires, Caleb was finally able to convey his message properly. “Oh, well, nobody named Mel or anything of that sort checked in after you did last night. Are you sure you’re going to be okay? I don’t think the nurses will let you out in this condition!”
Caleb only smiled weakly at her, not understanding her last sentence. He only knew, for now, that Melissa didn’t get here. Before the receptionist could protest any further, he was out the door and as soon as he got far enough away from town, he shifted into his deer form and bounded down the dirt pathway towards the lake. If she wasn’t at the clinic then she could possibly be out here dead or dying and she better not be dead or else he would be so freakin mad because they had already gone through all that stuff and it was too near the end of the terror for her to be dead and wow that was just one really long thought. He just continued to run as fast as he could with his injuries, calling out with his deer vocal cords and hoping she would hear him and somehow recognize him.
When he burst into the clearing, he found that the fire had burned itself out and his bag was still there along with the cougar prints and splatters of his own blood, but no sign of Melissa. Caleb pressed on and kept running, jumping over dead logs in his path and hoping to spot her golden cheetah pelt or a wisp of her scent. He hadn’t realized how exhausted he had become until he stopped at the bush he nearly passed out behind last night. When the weariness set in, he could only do a slow trot back the way be came and attempted to jump over a log in his way but ended up catching his hoof on it and tumbling headlong into a bush. He shifted back into his human form, laying on the dirt and breathing hard. Oh jeez, where the hell was Melissa!? Getting back up again, he managed to stumble a few paces on shaky legs before nearly tripping again over something warm and soft and breathing and he had nearly tripped over Melissa.
“Mel? Me ga samemasu! Sameru!” He shook her lightly, but thankful she was breathing, prodding her in Japanese to wake up.
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Post by Melissa|Tristan on Jul 18, 2009 21:43:51 GMT -5
Even in her exhausted state, the nightmares still managed to haunt her. First she saw her mother in the same dream she’d had earlier, the one where they embraced and her mother’s form crumpled in her hands. Melissa whimpered, still asleep, though she was subconsciously trying frantically to wake up. She was unaware of how much time passed, as she remained only semi-conscious for some time after waking up.
She was lying in dirt, dead leaves, and who knew what else, trying to convince herself to take a look at her injuries. It wasn’t going well. Every time she moved, something hurt, particularly her face and head. As she reached up to touch her scalp, her hand came away wet with blood, and she almost moaned aloud. Gritting her teeth, Melissa held herself as still as possible. She knew that sooner or later she was going to have to move, have to go to the Noatak clinic to get treatment, but she was thinking later rather than sooner.
It was a stupid idea to wait though, as her cuts could only get worse. But right now all Melissa wanted was rest and Advil. Lots and lots of Advil. She heard noises in the woods around her, and with each sound she worried that the cougars would return. Mel was sure that the male wouldn’t harm her now that she’d earned his respect, but the female was another matter altogether. When the noises got progressively louder Mel held even stiller than before, if that was even possible. Just when whatever it was was almost on top of her, breathing heavily and walking unevenly, Mel heard a voice.
Mel? Me ga samemasu! Sameru! Funny, that sounded a lot like Caleb’s voice. The frantic pitch of the voice prodded her to wake up, and reluctantly Mel opened her brown eyes. It was Caleb! You came back! Her voice cracked as she pulled herself into a sitting position. Her eyes searched intently until they found his and she held his gaze seriously. I thought you abandoned me. Attempting to shake the pain off didn’t work, and as her eyes filled up with tears, Mel hurt more than she ever had before in her life. Both inside and out.
She broke eye contact with Caleb, ashamed that she was crying now of all times. It was then that she noted his appearance, the fact that he had bandages and ointment all over him. He’d been treated. Yet another wave of hurt washed over her, and she curled her arms around her knees as a stray tear ran down her check. Surprisingly, her check stung painfully where the tear touched, an indication that there was a cut there, and a bad one at that. Pull yourself together. You can do this. The cheetah had been quiet until this point, so worried about what it had done to her when it took over, but now it offered gentle encouragement. Mel could feel it saying that if it were able, it would take the pain away. Unfortunately, this wasn’t possible, but it did give Mel more strength to keep going. She needed to get to the clinic, and soon.
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Post by DesperateDark on Jul 21, 2009 16:15:56 GMT -5
When Melissa stirred and opened her eyes, Caleb couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. He had thought she was dead for a moment, and that was one of the very last things he wanted at the moment. She pulled herself into a sitting position and he knelt down to help her up before her comment caught him completely off guard. "I thought you abandoned me."
"Huh?" Caleb sat down cross legged on the dirt, tilting his head to the side slightly with a confused expression. He didn't exactly feel any good about asking further because he realized she started to cry. She had curled her arms around her knees, and even to him that was an obvious indication that something was wrong. Tears were beginning to streak her face and it was then that he noticed a small cut on her cheek. She looked like she had been pushed in front of a train and then some, what had happened while he was gone? Caleb had only disappeared for a few hours at most.
The clinic was about forty five minutes away while running as a deer, so it was entirely possible that it would take about an hour to get back in human form. Right now, it didn't seem as if Melissa could get up at all, let alone walk. Caleb had no idea how much Melissa weighed, or if he was strong enough to be able to carry her all the way back to the clinic, but he was going to try anyways. "I hold you now, okay?" He was pretty sure that sentence was incorrect, but it didn't matter at the moment. Shifting so he was kneeling, he locked his forearms behind her knees and under her arms, picking her up like a groom did to a bride he had seen so many times in Western movies. It seemed pretty easy until you actually attempted it, Caleb realized this when he felt the strain in his arms. Melissa wasn't heavy at all, but it was a bit hard to maintain.
"Clinic?" He asked, just to be polite. The last thing he wanted was for her to think he was kidnapping her or something.
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Post by Melissa|Tristan on Jul 21, 2009 19:59:44 GMT -5
She didn't know how she was doing it; Mel never allowed anyone to see her cry. It was too embarrassing, and people here seemed to think that showing weakness was pathetic. Perhaps it was because Caleb had trusted her, trusted her to know his story, trusted her enough to show her his own tears. Trust was a thing never discarded by Melissa.
Caleb's utter incomprehension didn't help anything either. He looked completely lost, an expression probably mirrored on her own face. The cut on her face stung painfully, though it wasn't deep. One of the trees had cut her face as she'd raced after Caleb. Note to self: Watch where you're going from now on. With a hiccup Mel tried to control herself, and she began pawing at her face, trying to look a little better than she felt.
"I hold you now, okay?" What!?!? Wishing that Caleb's sentance meant something other than what she thought it did, she just watched him in surprise. As his arms reached out around her, Mel started squirming, her battered body protesing the movement. What are you doing? Very uncomfortable with how close they were, Mel stopped struggling partly because her body couldn't handle it, and partly because she didn't think he could handle it. Clinic? No, she wouldn't be carried halfway there again . . . it reminded her too much of Aras, though that had been a piggyback ride, not this . . . er, more relaxed hold.
She wasn't in good shape right now, so she just nodded. Mel would protest, in a minute . . . when she'd rested a little more. Caleb was warm, and she could hear his heartbeat under her right ear, thudding rather fast. Vaguely she thought that he shouldn't overexert himself since he was hurt too. Then again, he'd left her for dead, so maybe he deserved to do a little work. Stop being so nasty. She chided herself, trying to remain positive, which was difficult when she was this tired. Mel vowed to try though, no matter how hard it was. Caleb had helped where it counted, and that's all that mattered.
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Post by DesperateDark on Jul 21, 2009 22:17:27 GMT -5
Caleb felt Melissa nod against his chest and he felt a bit relieved that she hadn't insisted on walking to the clinic. It felt as if his heart was about to fall out his throat though, it was beating rather fast and he was panting after only going for a bit at a slight jog. Melissa was beginning to feel heavy in his arms, but he ignored it and pushed on, not wanting to let her down again. The uneven terrain didn't help the situation much either, and he tried to keep his arms stiff so he wouldn't jostle her around too much, all the while trying not to trip over something and send them both tumbling.
They were only about a quarter of the way there before Caleb felt he was about to pass out; he felt slightly dizzy and he was breathing too hard for it to be any good. "S-sorry," he stuttered, completely out of breath, before gently placing her down at the base of a large, shady tree. Oh god, his head felt way, way too light to be healthy. He slumped to the ground, laying down on his side with one arm over his face and tried to regulate his breathing. Poor Melissa too, she was the one who had to put up with him for the time being. Caleb sometimes wondered how much of a burden he really was. Everybody seemed to try and lie to him, telling him it was completely fine and that he wasn't any trouble at all. Yeah, right. He was plenty of trouble, and he even knew it, bad luck seemed to follow him everywhere.
Caleb rolled over to face Melissa, a sad, apologetic expression etched in his features. "Sorry," he apologized again, feeling truly helpless. He sort of closed his eyes and lay there, quiet, as if he were sleeping. His breathing had evened out well enough, and he no longer felt as if he were about to vomit up his lungs and heart anymore. Caleb didn't know if he was physically or mentally able to take another round of that, but he would try anyways.
He, once again, hooked his arms under Melissa's knees and arms and picked her up. His knees were shaking, but he managed, ignoring any protests she had for him. His knee and ribs especially were groaning from the pressure, but Caleb was more then ready to push himself this time.
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Post by Melissa|Tristan on Jul 23, 2009 11:24:34 GMT -5
Caleb’s heart was frantically thudding away under her ear, and the sound was comforting and frightening at the same time. He must be scared out of his mind. It was fluttering like a bird, and as she let her head gradually tilt closer it picked up speed. It's because I'm a cheetah, isn't it? Her talisman shrugged, unable and unwilling to attempt to decipher how prey's minds worked.
Unable to fall asleep in Caleb's arms, Mel became more and more tense as time went on. Are we even going in the right direction? It was too tough to tell, for the sun had barely begun to rise in the sky. Not to mention that Caleb's steps were becoming more and more unsteady and his hold on her was weakening by the second. Not exactly what she'd had in mind as far as rescue went. Not that she'd had rescue in mind at all.
She was about to suggest they stop and rest when Caleb gently placed her at the base of a tree, apologizing as he did so. With a tentative smile in his direction, she tried to reassure him, as he had done for her. It's alright. You don't look much better than I probably do. At least her injuries had stopped bleeding, since she'd had time to rest. It made the pain much more bearable, knowing that she wasn't going to bleed to death.
Caleb on the other hand really didn't look so hot at the moment. With his arm covering up his face it was difficult to tell just how bad he was, but if his shallow, irregular breathing was any indication . . . they were in trouble. Hey, are you okay? Scooting carefully closer to him, Mel reached her hand out halfway towards him, leaving it hanging in the space between them. Too shy to touch him, and too mistrustful of his intentions now, she let it hover for a moment, until the effort became too much so she pulled it back against her body.
To his second apology, she began tearing up again, though she choked them back in order to properly reply. You should be. If he understood her mumbles, he gave no immediate indication of it. His wordless response was to slide his arms back underneath her and continue carrying her through the forest. Please put me down . . . please Caleb. Don't carry me anymore. Her pleas fell on deaf ears . . . for the moment. Mel was working up her temper to really start protesting in a minute. If he thought he was going to be chivalrous and carry her all the way to town, Caleb had another thing coming. Especially when it seemed so likely that he would drop her before they arrived. He wasn't much bigger than she, and that was saying something. Hopefully the clinic wasn't too far away, and they could walk the rest together. What happened after they got there was anyone's guess.
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Post by DesperateDark on Jul 26, 2009 20:30:27 GMT -5
Okay, he was almost sure he wasn’t going to make it now. He felt as if he’d been running for kilometers upon kilometers, and there seemed to be no end in sight. His talisman told him that he was headed in the right direction, but he himself wasn’t so sure anymore. Caleb’s arms felt as if they were about to snap off and his head was beginning to drum again. Hopefully Melissa would understand and wouldn’t get too mad at him for not being able to carry her anymore, but at this rate he was probably going to drop her or trip and cause more damage.
Caleb’s legs shook a bit as he gently placed Melissa down on the soft moss of the forest floor. He placed his hands on his knees and started panting hard, feeling as if he wasn’t able to breathe properly. In fact, it felt as if he were about to vomit up his lungs, but that was probably not going to happen, but he did dry heave a few times. At this point, he didn’t know if this meant he was unfit or if he was simply too weak. Caleb did try and eat healthy (whenever he ate at all) and went for walks or runs when he felt lonely home alone (often); this was probably a bad case of karma.
”Can not hold anymore,” Caleb gave Melissa another doe-eyed, apologetic look. ”Very sorry.” But then he tipped his head to the right slightly, staring at her face and trying to figure out that look she was giving him. She looked… Angry? Irritated? Whatever it was, she clearly didn’t look amused. Caleb nibbled at his lower lip, unsure of what to do or how to proceed. He didn’t know why she looked irritated at him, but he must’ve done something wrong to make her that way. Did he accidently hurt her when he ran?
”You are okay? Did I hurt?” He questioned in a worried tone. If he had hurt her in any way, he would probably kick himself.
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Post by Melissa|Tristan on Jul 28, 2009 14:42:42 GMT -5
Great. Just great. Nothing about the day before had gone right, had it? Melissa spoke inwardly to her talisman. Next time, remind me to stay home, okay? It looked like it would have snickered at her had it been physically able, however it's chosen response was a mock-serious nod and a catlike gin. Fine, whatever. You have to get wet too next time. That wiped the grin off it's face in like a 0.00001th of a second.
Caleb's breath was coming in short pants now, and she tensed, knowing that he'd either drop her or set her down in the next 30 seconds. After what felt like an eternity, but was actually about 13 seconds, he gently set her down again. Her whole body protested sitting on the ground, even if it was covered by soft moss. She would definitely have some interesting bruises in the morning. Which it was already. The sun was beginning to peek over the horizon to their east, sending it's first rays of light into the sky, making streaks of red and puple shoot across it.
While Caleb turned slightly away and began dry heaving, Melissa cursed their bad luck. Or bad karma. Either way they were pretty much screwed. Usually Melissa was the optimist, but well, when you've been attacked by cougars and then abandoned by someone you thought was your friend, it's a little hard to be optomistic. Mel was worried a little about Caleb, since dry heaving wasn't normal, and he was quivering like a leaf.
A wave of pity rushed over Melissa, since even though she herself was hurting, Caleb didn't seem to be much better off. "Can not hold anymore," Did he mean her, or his breakfast? Mmmmmmm . . . breakfast. Breakfast sounded good right about now. I know. She gestured him heaving and panting, trying to make him understand that she didn't blame him. They were both hurting after all, and she was lucky that he'd come back for her in the first place. The fact that he'd carried her as far as he had meant a lot, and she didn't wish to appear ungrateful.
His apology sounded heartfelt, and well, apologetic. In an instant all of her frustration and irritation at him evaporated. ”You are okay? Did I hurt?” With a soft, gentle expression at his concern she slowly answered. No, you didn't hurt me. Now that Caleb's breathing had slowed, they could probably continue. And there would be no more carrying, unless she was carrying him. We should keep going. Daylight was burning, and since he'd made it to the clinic, the staff was probably frantic trying to find him. As she pulled one of his arms across her shoulders and slung one of her own across his, Mel pulled them closer together. They would support each other, like a team. I'm glad you came back. She nuzzled his shoulder trying to take comfort in the fact that at least she wasn't alone out here. And who better to be stuck with in the woods than a deer?
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