Writing Challenge Post#14

Set by: returntoyourfirstlove

Words: Slightly different - this challenge was more specific! I will list what I had to include at the end so it doesn’t spoil anything!

Word Limit: Must be 200+

Cobson couldn’t believe the sight before him – boulders the size of cars, hurtling down the mountainside at a pace nothing short of meteoric. Heightened instincts kicking in, he turned and ran, his legs accelerating away from the danger currently bearing down on him. Jagged shards of rock were screaming past him like ten thousand arrowheads, piercing whatever was unfortunate enough to be in their path.

FSSEEEWWW!

An arrowhead struck a little too close for comfort, piercing the right shoulder of his armour, yet narrowly avoiding his skin. In spite of this, not once did he turn back, his eyes glued on the promising cover of the forest up ahead.

The advanced technology of his combat suit was at full capacity, taking readings of his already elevated natural muscle strength, and multiplying it three fold. A cheetah wouldn’t stand a chance against him now, as he sprinted with such ferocity that the aging wood of simple housing splintered as he passed.

Even though the peak of Mount Tapakare was collapsing and would surely destroy every trace of the village at its foot, his mission was already complete – the inhabitants had been evacuated, and the rescue choppers would transport them and whatever resources they had stockpiled to a new location where they could begin afresh.

By now the last of the helicopters had long since departed, leaving Cobson alone with the chaos unfolding behind him. A cloud of dust had kicked up, so much so that his visibility was limited, but he carried on running nonetheless. The thud of crashing rock began to die away, as he wiped his visor free of dirt and debris, struggling to see.

Once his vision had cleared, Cobson found himself deep in woodland, with no real indication of where he was. The village, or what would now be left of it, was nowhere in sight, and he must have sheared a branch while escaping, because a stub of it was now wedged firmly in his comm’s device.

Wait.

Rustling - in the bushes nearby.

The wind?

No; a low, menacing growl suggested otherwise.

Cobson drew his blade – no point in using his rifle; whatever was in those bushes probably had friends, and gunfire would give up his whereabouts to the rest of them.

Got to take the quiet approach.

Stooping low, he edged slowly towards the source of the noise, checking not just his six but every number, one through twelve.

A strong breeze arose, causing movement all around him – not good.

Continuing forwards, eyes fixated firmly on the thicket, Cobson didn’t even see it coming with the wind in motion - silently from the right, a beast the size of a full-grown grizzly. Fur alive with a coat like sulphur, the only thing more imposing than the horns atop its head were its midnight eyes and the claws now pressing down upon Cobson’s throat. He tried desperately to reach for his knife, but it was just beyond his fingertips. He met the gaze of the beast pinning him to the ground, and watched in horror as its jaws parted, revealing teeth fresh with blood from another who had recently fallen victim to this creature. With the stench of death before him, Cobson stared, wide-eyed and helpless, as the predator lowered its head…

And began licking his visor.

Little Trevor Cobson wearily opened his eyes to find his Great Dane, Buddy, affectionately slobbering all over his face.

“Ew, gross – Buddy, get off!” he yelled grumpily, though a little relieved that he had been woken before seeing the grisly results of his over-active 7-year old imagination.

He trudged downstairs at a rate that couldn’t have been more opposite from the swiftness of the heroic soldier in his dream, and entered the kitchen.

“Well good morning, sleepyhead!” chimed his Mum, carefully concealing the avocado sandwich she was preparing for his lunch. There wasn’t much point - Trevor knew never to expect anything tasty on a Thursday, because today was when the food shop took place; this meant all the good stuff had gone and his Mum would need to resort to other sandwich fillings until the cupboards were replenished later that day.

“We didn’t think you were getting up,” his Dad contributed, “but it sounds like Buddy solved that problem, heh.”

Trevor gave a half-hearted laugh, wiping the last of dog spittle from his cheek, and upon seeing them, grabbed his favourite sunglasses excitedly from the kitchen table. He had misplaced them the previous weekend, and obviously one of his parents had located them, putting them on the table so he would realise this for himself, but not telling him off for losing them.

They were cool like that; it certainly made up for some of their other, more embarrassing habits.

Things to include: A boy called Trevor - you have to mention something about his leg, a pair of (sun)glasses, an avocado sandwich and a giant friendly dog.

…Now you see why I left it ‘til the end.

:)