Board Thread:What Would You Do?/@comment-31749612-20170704020654/@comment-33398500-20171017204844

“Why so shy?”

Those words that kept resounding in my brain as I attempted to ponder out what to do about the current situation. Here we are, the middle of a rainy night, bus out in the middle of nowhere, seemingly surrounded by mamonos.

“I’m pretty sure shyness is the natural response to being sized up like a piece of meat...” I call outside the bus in response to the voice that had called out.

This was NOT the right response.

I could tell that immediately by one of the pairs of eyes widening slightly, then looking straight at me, as a voice responded “D’awww... it’s okay... I’ll help with that...” one of the windows close to the eyes smashing down, the dread welling in my gut as I double back to the other side of the bus, pressed against the window, turning my head just in time to see those eyes again, and the clear outline of a girl’s face pressed against the glass “Hiiiiiii~”

This caused me to jump back in shock, going back several rows as I watched her face pass from window to window, now clearly homed in on her target: me.

I turned to Tony and Jakob, saying, panic clearly rising in my tone “Ummm, any ideas?!” however, a brief glance was enough to notice that they had their own problems at the moment, Tony backing away from a hand that had tried to grab him through the window, undeterred by the broken glass from the previous mamono’s strike.

Jakob, on the other hand, seemed to have even more trouble than I did, having three sets of eyes locked onto him, looking near-identical as he moved along the center aisle “Come on out, dear~” the three seemed to call as one. Clearly, this was going to be trouble no matter which way you slice it.

Frantically thinking, I bring the other two to the center of the bus, saying quietly “All right, we have no idea what kind of mamono we are dealing with right now, but we’re going to have to try to evade them... we’re not that far out of town, so if we can evade them long enough, we should be able to get there...”

“Are you kidding me?!” was Tony’s response “Run all the way back to town? That’s your plan?” he then lowered his voice as he realized they would hear him otherwise.

Tilting his head back toward the eyes outside, Jakob then said “Beats our other option, stay here and do nothing. I’ve got no idea what’s outside, but I’m not winding up the center of a monster harem...”

“Besides...” I then continue quietly “...the longer we wait, the more likely MORE of them might show up to try to claim someone...” there was something horribly off about the girl with her face pressed up to the glass, beaming at me through it.

“Just try it...” I could swear I hear her say over the rain, bringing up the other option: that they were currently screwing with us... After all, they could have easily just forced open the doors and grabbed us already... they WANT us to try something, and with the bus dead at the moment there really isn’t much option...

Getting my phone out, I realize there’s only one possibility at the moment “Okay...” I start quietly to the other two, “Get your flashlights ready... on the count of three we’re going to flash their eyes as close as we can and make a break for it... it’s so dark out that it might be our best chance...”

Watching Jakob and Tony look at each other, then slowly nod, they each got out their phone, getting their own light setting ready “All right... one... two... THREE!” I then called, turning on the light and pointing it at the eyes staring at me through the window, able to see her stagger back a moment, I sprint for the back door of the bus, opening it quickly and going at a dead sprint out onto the road, able to hear the other two behind me, the lack of immediate pursuit making it obvious that the momentary distraction worked.

“Such a mean boy!~” a voice behind us called loudly, however, as I continued down the rain-wet road as quickly as I could, the other two immediately behind me.

<p class="MsoNormal">However, a trio of near-identical calls of “Coming, dear!~” from immediately behind them was enough to tell us how closely we were being pursued, Jakob shouting now, voice getting slightly more distant behind me and Tony, followed by frantic sounds of struggle: he’d been caught! My eyes had caught enough of a glimpse even in the dark to realize what had gotten ahold of Jakob: werewolves!

<p class="MsoNormal">With redoubled speed, Tony and I had gotten to the next corner by the time we realized the sound of pursuit had quieted, as if whatever had been chasing us had grown disinterested.

<p class="MsoNormal">As we stopped a moment to catch our breath, the dead silence of the area under the patter of the rain was only broken a moment, the quiet figure that had been tailing us still now springing out from the bushes on their right “MINE!” the voice called out, tackling Tony to the ground, and immediately wrapping the coils of her body that had been trailing her around him before starting to drag him off, the Lamia humming happily as Tony called “Don’t just stand there! GO! Yours has to still be following us!”

<p class="MsoNormal">However, at first glance, I could see nothing but the road, as dead as it had been before Tony got grabbed. However, having just watched him get taken, I knew that didn’t mean anything. “Gotta get off the road...” I started, knowing she, who or whatever she was, would obviously see me if I were still here, now running to the hill on my left, began sliding down the muddy hill, only stopping once I had reached the bottom and tumbled over into the grass at the base of the hill.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Oww...” I muttered to myself, before hearing a laugh... nearby? I thought it was close, but the ringing laugh of the mamono that had been staring at me earlier felt like it was coming from every direction at once, spurring me to run, yet having no idea where she actually was.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Oh, dear, you’re the only one left now~” her voice rang out, accompanied by another laugh “I could have just grabbed you on the bus, but this way’s more fun~”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Oh? Like playing with your food!?” I couldn’t help but answer the omnipresent voice, looking around, paranoid as I try to find out where she is, and thus which way to run away from her.

<p class="MsoNormal">“What food? This isn’t hunting, it’s courtship, honey! Oh, which way, which way, which way to run away?” her voice called again, still seeming to come from all directions as I try desperately to determine the direction it was coming from.

<p class="MsoNormal">Deciding eventually that the rising dread and tension in my gut was too much, I pick a random direction and just start sprinting, as soon as I look up in an attempt to see straight ahead of me, my sight is obscured by the figure a mere inch from me “Wrong~” the mamono then spoke in a sing-song tone, as I jump back and try to backpedal in surprise, only to slip and fall in the wet grass. <p class="MsoNormal">“Looks like I win!” the dark elf in front of me then declared, jumping on me as I braced for the inevitable.