Page 5 of Samuel
The tunnel was tight, my shoulders scraping against the rocky walls, but I pushed on.
I wasn’t about to give up now, not when freedom was just within reach.
The light grew brighter, and I could smell the forest beyond—trees, earth, life.
Finally, I saw it—the exit. A small hole, barely big enough for me to squeeze through.
I pressed my fingers against the rock, finding it soft, more like clay or mud.
I dug my fingers in, pulling at the earth, forcing the gap wider until I could drag myself through.
With a final, desperate push, I collapsed onto the moist, tall grass outside.
For a few moments, I just lay there, flat on my back, staring up at the night sky.
Stars blinked down at me through the trees, and the cool air felt like heaven on my face.
Free.
I couldn’t believe I’d made it. Somehow, against all odds, I was alive.
My body felt like it had been through hell, but at least I was out of that tunnel. At least I was safe.
I let my eyes drift shut, exhaustion pulling at me.
Maybe I could sleep for just a few minutes—just long enough to catch my breath.
But then, I smelled it.
A putrid, rotten stench filled the air above me, and something warm and sticky dripped onto my face.
My eyes snapped open, and there it was—piss-colored eyes glaring down at me.
One of the rogues stood over me, its breath hot and foul, its jaws hanging open, saliva dripping from its teeth.
The second rogue lurked just behind it, its hulking shadow moving closer.
Panic gripped me, my muscles frozen in place. They’d found me.
How? How had they followed me through the tunnel? They’d probably taken another route.
My brain struggled to process what was happening, but I couldn’t think, couldn’t move.
My body screamed at me to run, to fight, to do something, but all I could do was stare at the monster looming over me, waiting for the inevitable.
I wasn’t going to make it this time.
The rogue’s snarl deepened, and its claws flexed, ready to tear me apart.
And just as it lunged, I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the pain that would follow.
But then—nothing.
CHAPTER TWO
SAMUEL
The night skyover the Gray Arrow Forest stretched endlessly above me, dark and starless, the perfect camouflage for my dragon form.
