When Yusuke had let slip that he and his friends weren't exactly human I had laughed it off.

It had been a joke at that point, and all of us had laughed about it.

Now, the joke was considerably less funny.

It was either because:

1. I'd just watched Yusuke brawling with a bunch colorful clawed men, or (and this one seems FAR more likely) 2. I was now squirming in the grasp of a bright orange THING with fangs.

I gasped for breath, feet flailing around trying to find something (that wasn't air) to stand on. My mind replayed the same horrified thought over and over, I'm gonna be strangled to death...I'm gonna be strangled to death.

This is a really stupid way to die. I could see it now, all my classmates talking about how helpless I was, my reputation would turn to shit in a heartbeat. Shit! shit! shit! shit! shit! I ain't dying like this!

I brought my knee up and slammed it, with every ounce of energy I had left, into the creature's lower jaw.

I hit the ground, dizzy and out of breath, but GOD it felt good to get oxygen into my lungs!

The creature roared and I had a mental flash back to that scene in the Mummy and briefly considered roaring back. I might have done it too, if the monster hadn't chosen that exact moment to drag its claws down my face.

I cried out, my mind moving a million miles a minute as I formulated a plan on pure instinct and adrenaline. I shot forwards, tackling the beast and planted my fists into its face several times before realizing that it was no longer moving.

I froze, wild eyed, and panting. My entire body shook with adrenaline,but I didn't move. I COULDN'T

move. The left side of my face throbbed painfully, and I closed my eye against the sharp sting of blood as it trickled past my eyelashes.

"Hey! You alright?"

Yusuke's voice snapped me out of whatever trance I'd been in, and I stood up, stumbling slightly.

"Peachy keen..." I muttered shakily.

Kuwabara spoke up next, "Hey man, she looks real bad... maybe we should take her to the hospital..."

I leveled a glare in Kuwabara's direction and shook my head stubbornly immeadiately regretting the action, "No. No hospital."

I hated hospitals, always had, always would.

"You're bleeding real bad."

I snorted at Kuwabara, trying to ignore the steadily progressing darkness at the edge of my vision, " No shit sherlock," and then, I toppled forwards.