There are eleven of them, closing in ever nearer, surrounding him.
He'd run for miles upon miles but no matter how fast, they were always just on his peripheral. Not so close as to warrant an attack, but certainly close enough to make their presence known.
He'd turned on his heel at one point, zeroing in on the nearest presence. The stranger had balked, turned and fled in a northerly direction, always out of sight, until finally he'd lost interest. But then the stranger had doubled around, snagged his attention once more, and the chase resumed.
They were luring him, he realized, baiting him to a certain location know only to them. The moment he'd realized this, he'd doubled back. But they'd bundled together, as if able to read his mind, and forced him to continue onto their realized trajectory.
He'd been strong once, he remembers this. Stronger and more ferocious than any other. But this hunger tearing into his throat, digging at his chest, renders him weak. Helpless. Perhaps once upon a time, he'd have eradicated these eleven strangers with ease. But now, on the brink of exhaustion and starvation, all he can do is play right into their little trap.
From arid deserts to grassy plains, they ran him continuously. If he paused even for a moment to hunt, they'd dive forward and force him away from his prey with their approaching presence alone. He knew better than to let them get too close. Just near enough that he could sense them. He'd not even seen the faces of his pursuers yet. Like faceless monsters known only in nightmares, they are unknown to him.
And now, he runs through a forest ripe with life. Herds of deer run rampant, trees intertwined by thick vines and shrubbery that shiver in the cool breeze. Cicadas and grasshoppers rattle throughout the branches, chirruping loudly for all to hear and encompassing it all are thick grey clouds that permit only the barest of sunlight to filter through.
And then he hears it. A stern command issued strictly, hastily. "Now, Emmett!"
A huge man streaks forward, massive arms outstretched.
They collide in a shattering, thunderous sound, kicking up clouds of dirt.
This stranger, this Emmett, is so strong- too strong for him- which becomes apparent when he wraps his massive arms around him and throws him to the ground, pinning him with his own body.
He writhes below Emmett, snarling and snapping his teeth together. The touch of his skin against another's burns. It fills him with such agony, such pain- like acid bubbling within his bones. Too close too close too close!
Suddenly, the bear of a man rips himself away, gasping raggedly.
Surging to his feet, his teeth are just inches from tearing into the throat of the incapacitated stranger when yet another force bowls into his side. He's thrown through the air, crashing into multiple trees in a cacophonous booming of sound made all the more sinister by the ragged growls and snarls.
He picks himself up from the rubble, aching like he's never ached before. He's so tired… so hungry. Ravenous.
Through the haze of clearing dirt and falling pine needles, a woman appears, her straight blonde hair whispering in the breeze.
He grits his teeth and stands, willing away the nauseous dizziness that plagues him. Righting himself after stumbling, he steadies his mind and body and flies forward.
Oddly, the woman doesn't move. She stares defiantly, jaw tense. Prepared.
He skids to a stop feet from her, sensing her treachery. Too late though, she's seen his hesitation and is coming to meet him. Before he can feint backward, her hands are wrapped around his neck.
Absolute agony assaults him, a terrible course of electricity burning through his veins. It fries his skin, his mind, his entire body.
It takes all of his will, all of his strength, to tear her claws from him. He resorts to sinking his teeth deep into her throat, ripping and ravaging until her awful, electric touch disappears.
He roars, his mind a rampaging mess. These creatures seek his demise. It is only fair that he return the favor.
As her sweet, beautiful screams fill his ears, he smiles giddily. This. This fear permeating from her as she looks up at him from the ground, as she backpedals… he can taste her fright on his tongue… it fills him with such a delicious feeling. A familiar feeling.
And then arms are wrapping around him. His torso, his legs, around his neck, even his eyes. The ten other strangers have rallied together and now render him utterly immobile.
He can't move, he can't breathe- he can hardly think. They're touching him- him! Too much too much too much…
He screams. Long and loud and for all he is worth, he screams. He bucks and writhes and claws and tears but they won't stop.
All he wants is to be left alone. Leave him alone, alone!
"Get off of me!" he rages. "Get off!"
He almost begs. Almost. Anything to rid him of this feeling. But he remembers himself at the last moment- he is a major, a soldier of the Confederate army. He does not beg.
"I need you to calm down, Jasper," a man soothes even as he tightens his hold on him.
Jasper? Jasper… Jasper, he does not know who that is- what that is.
"Calm…" the man says again. "I know you're scared. You have been alone for a very long time. But nobody is going to hurt you."
Death, blood, corpses, get off! He rails against them again, resorting to raging and shouting his pain to the sky, howling his fury and terror.
The arms holding him shiver and tremble but they hold true, even tighten.
"His mind is all over the place," a male hisses. "He's raving!"
A brief surge of strength and he manages to free one of his arms. Grabbing one of his assailant's hands, he drags it to his mouth and bites, tearing his teeth into flesh and grinding his teeth together.
A ragged hiss follows and then he's shoved into the cool ground. He snarls, inhaling mouthfuls of dirt with each gasping breath and he remembers his grave. He remembers and it terrifies him.
"He's feral- no better than a beast. No reasoning with him. We need to kill him before he hurts someone else!"
"No! His life has more meaning than you know- than any of us know!"
"Alice, I understand you have visions, but this is not what we were prepared for. Not what you told us would happen. His mind is too far gone, I can see it. He thinks nothing, he only feels. And his memories..."
"Just keep him still. Just a few more minutes. Jasper, I know you don't understand me, I know, but you need to calm yourself."
He wildly rails against them, snapping his jaws together before releasing another roar.
The arms tighten, the bodies press closer and closer and closer and he's burning! He's burning, acid running through his veins- worse than the woman with electricity running from her hands. He screams and roars and cries out and trembles but nothing saves him from this agony, this hell on earth.
He just wants to go home… he just wants to be alone… please, please, leave him alone… get away get away get away.
Finally, a low sob escapes his throat unbidden and slowly, as slowly as the sun sets, he goes limp. His head lowers to his chest and his vision darkens as he falls into the closest thing to sleep a creature such as he can achieve.
We'll be swapping heads next chapter so we can have a better understanding beyond Jasper's fairly limited perspective. Even so, I hope there is still clarity. Thank you so much for all of the support from the first chapter, I'm glad others will be joining me on this journey :) And please review, I'd love to hear your thoughts!