Chapter 169. Caught

Eli

A sharp pain is pounding in the top of my skull. In front of me I see nothing but tree bark, so I try to turn my head, but the pain radiates even stronger. I’m guessing I hit the tree head-on, so I’m pretty amazed that I’m even awake. I move what I last remember to be my broken paw, but it’s a hand now, so I must have gone unconscious and shifted back at some point.

How long have I been knocked out?

Kelly!

I have to move now since I need to see if she’s okay; I need to help her. I use my good hand—which right now isn’t much better than the other one—to push off the tree and try to get up and turn around at the same time. But something is stopping me.

“Piece of shit’s awake,” says a raspy voice right above me, and now I can feel that whoever it is, is holding me down with a huge, muddy boot.

Some dust catches in my throat, and I cough, and I’m still trying to get up or at least turn around and see who’s holding me down. The mal