Look Within:
Hey guys! Here's chapter three I hope you like it :) I would love to get some feedback on how I'm doing, it helps alot when I get tips from the reviews. But either way, enjoy and God bless! -Rin
Chapter 3: Survival
Katie gazed into the dark eyes that were glaring back, all traces of his smirk now replaced with quiet anger. She felt pinned to the spot by those dangerous eyes, even though she was still a good ten feet above him in the tree branch. There were several moments of tense silence until Loki broke the eye contact and turned to walk away.
"Wait..." Katie said, more to herself than to the man but he still seemed to hear her.
He halted but didn't turn to face Kaite this time.
The blonde didn't know what to say, she had just been attacked by an unbeknownst creature in a unknown forest, and then somewhat saved by this mysterious Loki person. She just wanted answers but she didn't know how to ask them.
"Unless you speak I will be inclined to continue walking." he grumbled, clasping his hands behind his back but continuing to stare straight ahead.
Katie took a breath and gulped.
"T...thank you."
The man seemed to stiffen, "For what exactly."
"For saving me..." she felt like she was answering a math question on a test.
A dark chuckle made it's way over to her eyes and she confirmed it was the wrong answer, she just hoped that she hadn't failed a 'test'.
"Oh, you foolish girl, I have only postponed the inevitable." he looked at the blonde out of the corner of his eye and then strode forward.
Katie watched as the raven-haired man disappeared into the forest his soft footsteps vanishing only seconds later. She saw that she was alone but couldn't get over the feeling of being watched, those haunting eyes still making her shiver.
'Come on Katie, get it together! You are a grown twenty year old who's braved the worst of New England, this jungle will be a piece of cake...' She thought to herself and took another deep breath, trying to put the strange man out of her mind.
She quickly looked at the branch she was on, it had been nearly clawed in half by that Kötter or whatever it was. She weighed the options she had left: try to get down while not breaking the branch and get to a lower one from which she could jump down. Or, jump and pray that the ten foot drop wouldn't break anything.
Katie didn't like either option due to the severe variables and unknowns that plagued the predicament. She didn't know how much longer the branch would hold out, with or without her weight, and how much time she had before the beast...or man for that matter, might come back. The young woman nodded to herself, she had to try and get down, and if it did go wrong she was going to fall either way.
Slowly, she slid herself as far back against the tree as she could and then sat so both her legs dangled on one side of the branch. Katie threw the now mushy bag of Chinese food to the forest floor where is landed with a splat. Next, she took off her tattered coat and scarf and threw them to the ground as well, not caring if they got dirty or not. Finally, Katie just sat there in a gray t-shirt and jeans with only one leather boot on her right foot. She saw a lower branch about four feet I front of her and about five feet below.
"You can make it." she said and slowly began to lower herself off the branch.
The broken limb creaked and groaned, small splinters of wood breaking off and falling to the ground like wooden snow. But the branch held as Katie hung down by her hands and felt around with her bare foot for the branch. It was so close, just a mere inch out of reach of her big toe. She swung slightly and tried to land on the branch but all she managed was brush it with the tip of her toe.
There was a loud crack and the branch on which Katie was hanging jerked downwards by a good couple inches. She whimpered and stretched her leg as far as it would go and was just able to grab it. She landed wobbly and waved her arms frantically to keep her balance but then there was an even louder crack than before. She looked up in terror as the branch she had just escaped from began to fall...towards her.
Without thinking she lept from her perch to the forest floor and the branch crashed down almost on top of her. Katie yelled as a burst of pain erupted in her arm and she clutched her wrist to her chest and curled up amongst the dirt and undergrowth. Her vision went red and she nearly passed out with the pain that radiated from her wrist. Time blurred into unaccountable pain filled moments that could have been seconds or years to the young woman. She curled into a fetal position, not even caring where she was anymore. She just wanted the agony to go away.
Finally, the pain began to subside and Katie was able to sit up. She blinked rapidly trying to control the hot tears that had begun to stream down her face as she looked down at her throbbing wrist. A huge blotchy, blue and yellow bruise had begun to form beneath the tender, swollen skin. Even though she had never broken a bone before, Katie was positive that her wrist was now indeed broken.
Slowly she tried to stand and was able to get into a kneeling position before a sharp jolt of pain made her hiss through her teeth and pause. The girl waited until the pain subsided once more and slowly stood up. She looked around blearily and spotted the remains of her coat and scarf lying in amongst the leaves of some of the undergrowth.
Going on an idea she had learned in one of her health classes in college before winter break Katie took the coat and tore a strip of cloth and found two pieces of thick bark. Wincing every few seconds she placed the bark on top and underneath her wrist. Then, she took the strip of cloth from the coat and wrapped the broken joint firmly. At first she almost couldn't do it cause of the pain and the pieces of bark kept slipping. But eventually the girl was able to tie a tight knot to complete the makeshift splint.
Next, Katie took the scarf, which was still in okay condition, and tied the two ends together to create a sling that she rested her now immobile wrist on. After everything was set the blonde sighed and leaned against the trunk of one of the giant trees. She felt like just curling up and falling asleep, praying that she would wake up in her bed safe, warm, and wrist unbroken. More tears threatened to over flow but Katie quickly closed her eyes and waited for the burning sensation to stop before she opened them again.
'You are a grown woman! You can't go loosing it now...' she thought to herself just as a growl came from her stomach.
Katie realized that it had been several hours since she had last eaten. By the position of the sun it was almost three in the afternoon, she had only eaten a bagel for breakfast and that was at seven-thirty.
'That's why I had bought the...Chinese food...' Katie groaned as she turned and saw the soggy looking brown bag at the base of the tree.
She walked over and knelt down to inspect the damage and to see if anything edible was left. She peeled back the torn brown paper and saw both good and bad news. The greasy comfort food had made the other side of the paper bag tear and the lo-mien had exploded onto the dirt and insect covered ground. Already ants had started claiming pieces of shrimp and noodle as their own.
Luckily, the white carton containing the dumplings had survived with only a few dents in the thin cardboard container. Quickly, she grabbed the take out food box by it's wire handle and peeked within. Six, cold, dumplings sat within; gloriously untouched by bug, dirt, or anything unsavory. Katie was about to dive into the gleaming morsels when a bird gave a high pitched call and flew upwards into the air.
She was reminded that she could very well not be alone in the forest and that it would be best to find some place to hide while she ate. Even better would be to find civilization or at least a place to settle for the night.
Making sure that the sling's knot would hold and that her only source of food was still able to be ported, Katie looked around and, after grabbing the boot she had thrown, decided it would be best to head the way the sun was setting. Hopefully she would be able to find a water source and follow that from there. She just prayed that she would find help before something else found her.
Loki was pacing once more, except this time he was within the confines of what he would consider his home. With the use of his magic he had been able to construct a dwelling inside the trunk of one of the largest trees in the entire jungle. The hollow within was about fifteen feet in diameter and went eight feet up, not even close to where the branches of the tree started. The tree itself had to be at least two hundred feet high and twenty feet in diameter.
The single room was relatively unfurnished, with only a small chest for the small amount of provisions that were provided to him every two weeks. It was one of the only conditions that his mother was able to get from Odin during his sentencing for treason. It would only enough for him as long as he ate just enough every two weeks. If he were to over indulge or loose part of his rations he would have to survive by his own hands for however long he had left.
Loki didn't doubt that he could survive without and help but he preferred the Asgardian food compared to primitively roasting whatever he happened to catch over a flame.
The two other things within the space were a cot shoved against the wall with a thin blanket and a stack of thick leather book. These few items were the only other things that Frigga could secure for her adopted son. Everything else was stripped from him except the clothes that he wore by Odin.
Just thinking about the man that Loki had thought was his father made his mouth curl into a snarl and his stopped his pacing. He was never good enough, not even when he had done everything in his power to please Odin. Loki was cast out like always.
The raven-haired man closed his eyes and took a breath, trying to draw his mind from darker thoughts. His train of thought went back to the strange woman who had appeared in the forest. She was a real puzzle and it frustrated him because he was usually good at puzzles.
Was she some other being who had displeased the mighty Odin and had been banished to this jungle prison? Or was she a native that only now Loki had met?
'No'. he thought. 'No, she was too strangely dressed to be a native of the jungle. If anything she looked human. But what would a human be doing here? Odin rarely got caught up with the dealings of humans, that was mainly...Thor's place of interest...'
"Thor." Loki said the single name and his hands clenched into tight fists.
Loki had never forgiven Thor for his brutish arrogance that had cost him his throne. Yes, Thor said he still cared for Loki as a brother but he didn't believe a word of it. All he cared about was himself and those idiotic humans on the puny realm of Earth.
"So Thor is here, or was at least." he said to himself.
A sly smirk crossed his features as a brilliantly malicious idea crossed his mind. Like he had thought before Loki never doubted his hunting ability. So why not give it a try?
"Let's go see what this girl knows."
HEY! Let me know what you think's gunna happen, if you're right you get a cyber cookie! -Rin
