| Attacked |

The disk fell to the ground, covered in blood, with a clatter.

I panted cradling my bloodied hand to my chest, my hand was in so much pain at the moment, that it made me gasp for air.

My brain in a haze.

I bought my foot down on the disk watching it shatter beneath my shoe, smearing my own blood on the white floor.

I had to keep moving.

I took a rag from the shelf across from me, probably waiting to be used for cleaning, wrapping it around my dripping wrist.

I creaked open the closet door walking out cautiously. The hallway was empty, curfew in action, students retreating to their cabins.

The hallway was dark, unwelcoming as I jogged down it.

I was getting closer and closer to the exit of the building. I passed classrooms before I actually made it to the abandoned cafeteria.

Whispers were heard, out of instinct I shrunk into the shadow away from view.

"I wonder where that baby is?" Kayden. His sneering voice immediately made me recognize him.

"Probably hiding like a wimp would do." Another jeered. I clenched my jaw, it's not like they were good at insulting but I still got mad all the same.

"I can't believe he is making the whole camp search for this boy! Why is he so special? All I see is a weak human." I heard grunts in agreement before their voices and steps retreated down the hallway.

I sighed in relief. They're right. Why am I special? Why would they care about if I was breathing or not? The question that kept repeating in my head, it definitely irked me.

My hand was throbbing and I held it to my chest tightly groaning quietly.

I started to walk down the hallway again, being careful to not make noise.

I peeked around the hallway's corner in the shadows where I could not be seen.

Two boys stood at the exit doors, tasers in their hands. Well, I don't want to get with one of those tasers. I back away from that direction turning to one of the classrooms.

Footsteps were heard from one of the passages making me quickly enter the classroom. I urgently looked around the room.

"Escape...Escape…" I repeated silently to myself. The room had no windows, just multiple tables, and chairs facing towards a desk. I rapidly identified this room as the history room, the textbooks, signs on the wall making it apparent.

I looked up at the ceiling.

I eyed the ceiling, maybe I can go through the ceiling?

Wait, can that even support my weight? Nevermind.

I waited for the passing teenagers to leave before exiting the classroom.

I need to find a window. I jogged down the passageway, making sure to tread lightly.

Bingo!

A window. I had to search for five classrooms before finding a window.

I opened the window, the cool air blew on my face. I was still on the lowest floor thank god. I jumped out of the window, landing on grass.

Finally.

At Least I was out of that building.

I could see flashlights in the distance. I began to run towards the cabins.

I traveled through the shadows away from the people looking for me, closer and closer to the cabins.

The night was warmer because of the summer season, and I am glad that I won't need a blanket tonight because I probably won't get one.

I made it to the tiny buildings we called our sleeping quarters. They were elevated slightly, and an idea popped into my head.

I slid uncomfortably under one of the cabins, mud caking me. I was careful to lift my injured hand away from the dirt and germs, not wanting it to get infected.

I sighed once I was under it, out of view. My body was on full alert, but my mind was groggy and exhausted from the stress and danger of the situation I was in.

After about thirty minutes of my body tight with fear and tension, it slowly relaxed knowing they wouldn't be able to find me.

My eyelids felt like stones, as I was dragged into a dreamless sleep.

I woke up to myself sliding from under the cabin a hand on my foot.

I was dragged out and under from the cabin before I could even wipe the exhaustion off my face. Flashlights beamed in my face, my eyes squinted trying to escape the lights.

Ace stood above me, displeasure smeared on his face, as I groaned. Why did I deserve this?

Someone immediately flipped me over pinning me to the ground, my hands being painfully wrenched behind me.

Clink!

The handcuffs were on. The person who handcuffed me dug his knee painfully into my back before leaning down and whispering in my ear.

"Gotch you." Kayden's voice echoed through my mind.

I sat up clenching my chest, in the process of hitting my head on the wood ceiling above me.

It was just a dream, I kept reminding myself.

I grumbled holding my throbbing head I had just bumped into the ceiling.

Morning daylight came through the cracks of the cabin floor.

I survived one night, that's a relief. Just replaying the dream in my head made me shiver.

No. Not escaping was not an option.

My stomach growled hungrily.

I hadn't eaten in days, and my stomach took the liberty of reminding me constantly.

I crawled onto my stomach on the dirt floor, scooting my way to the crevice that let me under the cabin.

I determined that it was maybe late morning, lunch at the latest.

I'll have to wait till night to make my move.

After a day of sheer boredom, darkness fell upon the academy, making me jittery with nervousness.

A while after they announced a curfew for the trainees I slid out from under the cabin, hissing slightly from knocking my injured hand.

I wobbled to my feet looking around. Maybe they thought I was already gone? And didn't bother having the kids look for me anymore?

I quietly walked away from the cabins, silently. The fence was in view.

I just had to get past that fence and I'm free! I thought to myself. Running towards it I quickly plucked out the idea of climbing it.

There on the fence layed a sign.

The sign made my hopes die. It showed that the fence was electrical. That explained the buzzing sound.

Okay, I can still dig my way under the fence.

I got down on my hands and knees digging my hand into the ground.

It was a slow process and I couldn't help but lean back in exhaustion.

Oh..my..god...

Have you ever had a feeling of dread and disappointment in yourself that it makes you want to be swallowed up by the ground? That's how I felt looking up, and seeing a camera hung on the fence, red light blinking, showing me it was on.

I could hear shouts, and I started to dig faster.

I could see figures coming closer and closer to me, I dug into the ground with both hands now ignoring my wound.

The hole was dangerously shallow, but it was worth the risk.

Thank god I've always been known as skinny.

I shimmied down on the ground scooting under the fence carefully on my stomach, alligator style.

"Hey, kid!" I heard one of them yell, making me scramble a little faster, trying not to be electrocuted.

"Don't, Nate!" Another said and I recognized Ace's voice.

I was almost on the other side of the fence when I felt a hand grasp my ankle just like my dream.

I flip on my back pulling my foot away from the person.

Ace's face wore a bitter expression while he pulled backward.

"Let go! You'll get me electrocuted!" I yelped out, digging my hand into the grass trying not to have contact with the fence.

"That's the point! It will make you go unconscious." Ace gritted out pulling me closer and closer to the fence.

In my struggle, I kicked Ace in the shin making him grunt.

I pulled out of his weakened grasp safely on the other side of the fence.

I barely had time to look at Ace again when I heard voices now coming from the entrance of the academy, shadows, with flashlights, running towards me.

I looked at Ace's heated look at him with a grin before sprinting towards the bazaar forest in front of me.

The color leaves wacked my face as I ran into the untamed forest full of weird plants, not looking back.

I could still hear yells from my pursuers making me sprint harder not bothering to look where I was going.

Whompf!

All the air knocked as soon as I hit the ground from tripping over a root. I rolled on the wet jungle floor before feeling myself tumble faster.

"Ahhhh!" I squealed unintentionally while torpedoing down a steep hill, scratching myself on the rocks.

I searched for air as soon as I came to a rough stop, hitting my back against a tree keeping me from tumbling anymore.

I panted, relief flooding into my system, I think I lost them.

I got up from the ground with a ground, tilting slightly from being on a hill. I started to shuffle down the hill.

My uniform was somewhat ripped, and damp from the jungle floor.

Once the ground leveled out from the hill, I started to run, loving the feeling of being free.

The moon lit the unusual jungle making it dimmer than pitch black.

The air was cooler than last night making my skin develop goosebumps.

After a few hours of aimless walking, my thoughts began to wander.

What am I going to do now? At Least I escaped Ringtheron Academy, but being stranded in a jungle isn't much better.

My stomach grumbled.

Where was I going to find food?

And not to mention water, where was I going to find water?

My escape looked more and more stupid as I thought about it.

So basically, I escaped from being turned into a Lumpkonton to die of starvation and dehydration.

Wow.

I did not think this through.

I huffed sitting on the jungle floor, the uneven ground making my butt uncomfortable.

A ruffle in the bushes made my head snap up.

Great, how did they find me?

My thoughts were quickly interrupted by a growl.

I scrambled to my feet backing up, stumbling over my feet.

A growl made me freeze in my spot, uneasiness gripping me to the jungle floor.

I almost peed my pants when I saw the feline's massive body come out of the plants, a snarl on its face.

Oh hogwash, of course, I would get attacked by a massive cat.

I remember reading about this species in school, but I never knew they were this big. Perithon, a feline that is twice the size of an adult tiger. As you can see, not a house cat since it wants to eat me right now.

I read in school to not show that you're prey and to stand your ground. My mind kept repeating this, but my body said, "Screw this" and I bolted hearing it's roar behind me.

The plants whipped in my face while I rushed through the brush.

Adrenaline pumped through my veins as my feet pounded against the ground.

It was toying with me.

It obviously could have killed me already. It was faster and knew this environment more than me.

It was playing with its prey before killing it, I growled in my head.

My breath became labored, and I stopped exhausted.

The dark jungle was silent, but I knew it was watching me, waiting for the right moment.

It made its attack, jumping me from behind knocking me to the ground, before disappearing again.

I inhaled deeply, scrambling from my stomach and onto my butt.

I swallowed, looking through the dark. It was impossible to see the feline, who was camouflaging in the dark bushes, it's dark coat blending in the night.

Humpf!

My head snapped painfully back into the ground, being pushed to the ground, my back pressed against the forest floor, a stick poking painfully against my back.

It bared its teeth from above me, the whiteness gleaming in the duskiness.

A growl erupted from its chest, lowering his jaw to my throat, not interested in playing with its prey anymore.

This was the feeling before death, I thought to myself.