A Missing Sheep Part VIII
But where would she go? The clearing was too wide and open to hide somewhere, even in the darkness. And if she went back into the forest, the imitacs would take advantage and surely hunt her down.
She cursed and threw another stone. It knocked out another one of these damn creatures. Tears started to well up in her eyes and got washed away by the rain. Why did she have to look for that stupid sheep? She should have gone home with Fin. Father would have been mad, yes, but at least she would still be alive.
She clenched her teeth and threw another rock as she backed further away. Her target yowled and stopped. “No!” it shouted. “Poor sheep!”
“Poor sheep your arse!” Arthema screamed and threw her penultimate stone. The hit imitac gargled and remained motionless.
Arthema stopped and looked down at her hand. She had closed her fist so tightly around her last stone that the sharp edges of it had cut in her skin and released small trickles of blood. It got washed away by the rain like her anger and frustration had washed away all of her fear.
She breathed heavily and squinted as more and more tears flowed down her cheek. Why hadn’t she gone home? Her arm trembled and her heart drummed madly in her chest. She couldn’t tell if the buzzing in her ear came from the wind or her pumping blood. “No…” she whispered and shook her head. “No”, she said louder. She would not die here tonight.
She jerked her head up, screamed out all of her anger and threw the last stone. At the same moment one of the last two imitacs jumped at her, his sharp claws outstretched towards Arthema and his mouth opened wide, revealing its needle-like teeth.
