The Forsaken Read Online Free PDF Page B

it. And besides, it doesn’t lead anywhere. Someone could trap me up there if they wanted to.
    David sinks down to the ground, motioning for me to do the same. So instead of running, I crouch down near a fallen tree covered with lichens.
    I press myself flat in the underbrush behind it, trying to make myself invisible. David is a few feet to my left. I take shallow breaths, even though my chest is pounding. The rustling sounds grow louder. I peek through the underbrush above the fallen tree.
    Standing at the edge of the clearing is a four-legged animal, the size of a large pig. But it’s not like any pig I’ve ever seen. While its body is stocky and its legs end in cloven hooves, its head is sleek and vicious with a narrow, pointed snout.
    The animal sniffs the air, revealing rows of tiny sharp teeth. It doesn’t see me or David yet. Its yellow eyes are wild, almost mad-looking.
    It roots in the earth like a boar, digging its teeth into the mud as it grunts.
    Suddenly, it tosses its head back and opens its mouth wide. A loud, screeching explosion of noise bursts forth. Unable to stop myself, I let out a startled gasp.
    David shoots me a warning glance. The screeching stops instantly. Did the animal hear me? I’m too scared to look up and find out.
    Then I hear another sound, faint but distinct. A harsh, guttural shriek. I realize that somewhere out there is a second one of these animals. David signals at me to start moving backward.
    I risk a terrified peek again, thinking that the creature will probably be looking for its companion now.
    But I’m wrong.
    The animal is staring directly at me, its yellow eyes locked on mine.
    It sees me. Knows exactly where I am. I start inching back slowly, my belly still on the ground.
    The animal raises a hoof and takes a step in my direction. A silvery rope of saliva hangs down from its black gums. I start wriggling away from it faster, arms and legs moving frantically. The creature bares its teeth, taking another step. Then another. It swings its head in David’s direction. Now it has seen both of us.
    I finally scrabble to my feet. David does the same. In the second before we turn to flee, I catch a flicker of movement from the corner of my eye, headed our way.
    At first I think it’s the second animal. But then I see that it’s a dark figure with a painted face— exactly like the figure who attacked the blue-eyed boy. The figure blazes a trail directly toward the creature in a rapid, swirling frenzy.
    The animal hears the person coming and arches its neck, emitting that horrible screech again. At least it has lost interest in me and David. It pivots and bares its fangs, still screeching. But it’s no match for the whirlwind heading toward it at maximum velocity. I see the flash of metal blades in the figure’s hands as it descends on the animal.
    Everything happens in a blur as knives plunge into the animal’s flank. I can’t see the figure’s face now because its black robes are flying and fluttering all around it.
    The figure rides the animal downward as it plummets headfirst into the earth. A long metal blade churns its way through the animal’s throat, blood arcing outward and spattering onto the leaves.
    “Run! C’mon!” David screams at me.
    I finally turn and race blindly through the forest, branches whipping at my face and hands, lashing the skin. I trip over gnarled roots and fallen vines, but keep scrabbling forward. I hear David hobbling behind me.
    The life expectancy here might be eighteen years, but I won’t even have lasted one hour! I always thought I was smarter than a lot of the kids back home. Yet my classmates and fellow orphans are probably safe right now in the UNA, and here I am on the island, about to die.
    It takes another fifteen minutes of running before I realize that I don’t hear anything behind me. The animal’s screeches have ceased. I assume the figure killed it. I wonder if it’s possible that he didn’t see me or David, but that