Trapped With Wings

°~《Chapter Eighteen》~°

I frantically beat my wings backward as I flew a few feet past the open door. The crawler was in the room just as I'd feared. It's putrid stench and the distant scent of something oddly familiar hit my nose as I stared into it's eyes.

My blood ran cold as I saw it loom over the defenseless tissue box; a few shreds of the flimsy paper already discarded in pieces like confetti over the floor.

Anger coursed through my body as I threw myself towards the dreaded creature. One of its many legs quickly became trapped in my maw as I clamped down as hard as I could.

My teeth easily broke skin as I kept pushing for more pressure in my bite. Only a moment passed before I heard and felt the sickening crack I was waiting for and released to jump a few tail lengths away. The screech of the crawler filled my ears as I was just barely able to avoid the clawed toe aimed at my neck.

The crawler stumbled for just a moment as it charged in my direction. Fear was the last thing on my mind as I welcomed the adrenaline fueling my rage.

With the pressure built up in the back of my throat, I unleashed a torrent of fire right into the crawlers face. It reeled back in pain from the scorching flames consistently being blasted at it. My assault continued until the pressure was gone causing me to pause and catch my breath.

My throat was sore from overuse. I wasn't used to holding onto a flame for so long. The crawler was still standing, though it was obvious it was becoming weaker as it swayed from side to side. A growl grew from my chest at the very thought of this thing remaining alive.

I launched at another of it's legs, smelling the burnt flesh of the monster as I drew closer. The crawler jerked back, trying to stay clear of my dangerous teeth. However, its avoidance was in vain as I had already decided for it's time to be up. My feint distracted it long enough for me to propel myself into the side of the over-sized arachnid. It's neck was soft and easy to penetrate as I bit down with all my resentment I had for these creatures. It's blood tasted revolting, but I was determined not to let go until we were a heap of black and green on the cabin floor.

I backed away, scorching it with more flames to burn the taste from my mouth. It lay on its back for a few moments before going into intense convolutions. I watched it through tinted vision until I was sure it's movements had stopped completely.

My attention was pulled away as I suddenly recalled the reason I had come into the room. My neck strained as I spun to face a slightly scratched tissue box. I took large strides as I bolted to the container's side.

My heart felt lighter as I attempted to calm down from all the adrenaline that had just flooded my system. Looking inside, I could tell quite a bit of the tissues were missing and by the mess on the floor, I could tell who did it.

With a slow breath, I carefully pulled out the bundles of tissues that held my hearts. My first egg easily fell from the soft paper into the mound of sand I had spread out. Though, the second didn't seem to want to come loose of it's wrapping. More than that, the bundle felt way lighter than the first one. A bit out of breath, I held the bundle in my arms before ripping away the thin protection. The tissue was indistinguishable by the time it lay on the floor with the rest of the littered paper. My head pounded with the empty accomplishment.

I instantly went back to the box and tore out ever single white piece I spotted, even going as far as pouring out more of the sand. My heart was beating out of my chest as I stared at the nothingness inside of the box. Not only was my heart pounding louder than I could think, but my breathing was becoming snappier with every step I took. I searched through every shred of tissue five times over before realizing Tuskon was standing in a daze at the door.