One of the convenient things about burn wounds was that if they got hot enough, they cauterized.
Bard didn’t know if that was true, but it seemed like a hilarious condolence as he limped toward his car.
His place was fucked. He was in no shape to save it.
Might as well call stupid 911.
He was nearly to the Civic when he noticed a massive shadowy figure on the hillside behind it.
Bard stopped.
He could see a giant, glowing purple cat.
But somehow, he could see it through the bushes.
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Like he was seeing its energy.
It was sneaking up on him.
Bard was pretty sure it thought he couldn’t see it.
He started making his way slowly toward the car.
Then he noticed it getting ready to pounce.
He dove for the door.
Something like a massive lion-hyena-wolf hybrid leaped from behind the bushes and over Bard’s car.
It was easily a twenty-foot pounce.
Bard had only a few moments to draw his gun.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Thud.
The beast dropped down on him from the sky.
It nearly fell directly on top of him. Bard twisted away just in time, but several claws sliced across him.
His face.
His chest.
Bard fell again, completely disoriented.
Then he heard something far behind him, near the camper.
Something that sounded like an elephant.
The beast stood beside him, looking toward the sound.
Then it leaped off into the darkness.
Into the night.
Bard could barely see through the blood in his eyes.
He could barely think.
He was fading.
And yet somehow, he noticed a figure lurch toward him from the edge of the forest.
It grabbed hold of him just as he lost consciousness.