#apothus

She withdrew quickly, doubling over as her waist cramped. She held her stomach, feeling she may vomit from the pain alone, and fell onto her side. The dew speckled across the grass soaked into her coat and skirts as she curled up, groaning. The pain spread through her fingers, toes, and face. The place around her waist where she knew her black birthmarks to be burned like they’d been set on fire. From her fingertips, her nails grew into long claws. She felt the same happening to her toenails. Pain seared through her jaw as she felt it stretch out, her teeth elongating and poking into her gums. She tried to open her mouth, resulting in more pain in her jaw, and ended up poking at her lips with her teeth, now too large to fit in a closed mouth. Her tailbone extended from her spine and split into three skinny tails flicking at her backside, writhing along with her in agony.

Appearing just above her was a bright white light. Her eyes widened. A portal? She gained control of her tightening muscles and rolled out of the way as a dark creature plummeted down from the opening. It closed directly behind him.

Camille scrambled in an attempt to turn around and get to her feet. Her voice became a roaring shriek as she called, “Flynn!”

Flynn, oblivious to everything that had just taken place behind her, turned and screamed.

The beast behind Camille staggered to his feet. He stood on all fours, with the head of a lion on the body of a muscular man. Two tusks protruded from the corners of his mouth, and two bull-like horns decorated his head. He tossed his mane, his yellow-green eyes first on Camille, then on her screaming sister. He crept toward the witch.

Camille started forward, struggling to push onto her feet. “Run!” she shouted.

Flynn ran toward the wooded side of the valley. Even the fat rabbits were aware of the sudden lack of security and scattered. Had her pain been less severe and her mind not focused on the danger at hand, Camille would have laughed at the sight of their attempted escape.

To her dismay, the beast didn’t appear hungry for rabbit flesh and gave chase after her. He was surprisingly fast for his awkward size and form.

Camille managed to get to her feet and run after Flynn, though the three new limbs at her back flailed about uselessly except to slow her down. She pumped her legs harder to make up for it. Her hair whipped at her face, and she wished she’d have tied it up before poking at the portal.

The beast was at her heels, his jaws snapping at her three tails. Luckily for her, they moved so erratically that he had a hard time catching a single one.

Weaving between trees, Flynn finally returned to Camille’s sight. She leapt over an uprooted tree and went after her sister.

The beast tripped over the tangled roots and fell face-first into a pile of wet leaves and mud.

The pain finally ebbing, Camille sprinted after her sister, hopping over roots, shrubs, and fallen trees until she caught up.

Startled at her sister’s appearance, Flynn slipped and fell over a bush.

Camille hopped, expecting to see her sister sprawled on the ground, but instead found nothing but forest floor. “Flynn?” She circled the small area. The girl had disappeared completely. Camille sniffed. Sulfur. She squinted her eyes and growled, looking for the small distortion that marked a hidden portal.

The beast crept upon her from the other side of the brush, his yellow-green eyes glowing in the darkness of the forest.

Camille froze and watched him.

His shoulder muscles twitched just before he lunged at her, jaws open and clawed hands extended.

Camille fell back, crushing her tails under her butt.

Before the beast fell upon her, he disappeared.