A Missing Sheep Part VII
She cursed and stood up, leaning on the stone with her unharmed arm. Arthema knew she should run but this thought alone let all of her muscles cramp. She looked around in search of something that she could use as a weapon but only mud and grass were around her.
Then she suddenly broke into laughter. There were a few stones as big as apples behind her. She picked up as many as she could, remembering how Fin and her had broken all the windows of the old abandoned mill which they had found last matos. After that, they had searched for glasses and bottles inside the mill to use as new targets. Fin had been very angry this day because Arthema had always hit them all with her first throw.
As she was lost in her thoughts the creatures toddled slowly and awkwardly down the hillside. Two of them slipped and bowled down the hill, stopping dangerously close to her. Arthema jumped and took a few steps back. The rest of the pack hesitated and curiously watched their two unlucky siblings. “No!” they creaked. “Poor sheep?” The two imitacs shook themselves from the fall and continued their approach. The remaining ones watched curiously and after a heartbeat they tumbled down the hill, too.
Arthema cursed, took more steps backwards and threw the first stone. It hit the closest imitac right in the head. It grunted and fell to the side where it remained motionless. The rest of the predators screamed in anger and quickened their steps. Arthema backed away more, throwing another stone. It hit one imitac in the side and stopped it from jumping on her. There were still five imitacs left and only the gods knew how many would soon be crawling out of the forest. She had to flee.
