I forgot to mention how much I love hurt/sick/sad/genuinely uncomfortable Connor. I'm going to be beating the hell out of him in this story. You've been warned.

Also, as much as I would LOVE to put out a chapter every day, sometimes I just won't be able to.. Stupid life responsibilities.

Anyway... chapter 2! Enjoy!

Current Song: "My Demons" – Starset

Take me high and I'll sing
You make everything okay
We are one in the same
You take all of the pain away

The day pressed on, more or less uneventful. The afternoon came and went, leading into an average evening. Connor had cooked the fish, but it was just as bland as any other time. She should just have been thankful that they had food, she supposed. Abby sighed, feeling his attention shift toward her but uncaring. She twirled a small twig in her hand as if it would appease her boredom.

"What's wrong?" That was a dumb question. He mentally winced as she threw the stick and stood, dusting off her dirt-clad, blood-stained jeans as if it would improve their current state. Judging from the look she had shot him, she was going to disregard his moment of stupidity. He was thankful.

She took a seat next to him in the entranceway of their cave, leaning her head onto his shoulder. "How much longer do you think it will be before the anomaly reopens?" She wanted to believe in his optimism. It was comforting, even when there was only a sliver of hope left inside her.

"Any day now." He dropped his head to smile at the top of hers, blonde hair tickling his nose. "Someday soon, it won't be just the wind, Abby. You'll see." He looked over to the contraption he had made using his keys and willed it to move. When it didn't, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle shake. "Let's go for a walk." They had some daylight left. She didn't respond, so he pushed his knee against hers to jostle her again. This time she smiled and nodded. They grabbed their packs and Connor grabbed his spear.

They walked in silence. Connor actually began to wonder why he had thought this would be a good idea. They had to be on alert, so they couldn't really enjoy an adventure. Adventure was probably not the correct term. They were only a little less than half a mile from camp. It was his turn to sigh. "This was stupid." He murmured, scratching the back of his head.

"I don't know." Abby shrugged, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jeans. "It's oddly refreshing." She met his gaze with a smile. "It's not something we do every day."

He nodded and adjusted his bag on his shoulder. "We should head back soon." Sounds in the distance were quieting as the sun began to disappear behind the trees. "Don't want to be caught out at night." He turned back and waited for Abby to do the same, but she remained still, the retreating light reflecting in her blue eyes.

"It's been three months." Her sad eyes met his. "D'you think they're still looking for us?" She felt his hand on her arm and looked down at it, finding comfort in the small gesture.

"O'course they are." He gave her a small tug to get her feet moving. "Action man won't give up. It's not his style."

She smiled up at him and nodded, then again as if to assure herself. "Right. Come on, then." She took a step when his grip tightened on her arm. "Ow, Connor, what the hell?!" She would have slapped him if not for the horrified expression on his face.

"Don't move."

Oh, did she hate when this happened. He could see whatever it was while she was left with nothing but his genius jargon to clue her in. "Connor, what is it?" She hissed, feeling her pulse begin to race.

"A, um… I think…" He started to back away slowly, pulling her along with him.

"Connor!" She whispered harshly.

"I think it's a…uh…gigantophis..." She raised her eyebrows and shook her head minutely, mouthing 'English, Conn!' The young scientist swallowed hard and pulled her closer. "Really big snake."

Her breath hitched. They could climb trees to escape raptors. They could use the trees and bushes to out maneuver a large predator, as well as a winged one. But a snake? How the hell could they escape from a snake?

He backed into a tree, sliding himself and Abby around to the other side. He was holding her tight against his chest now as he peeked around. His heart was pounding against his ribcage, which was both comforting and terrifying to the zoologist. She stayed perfectly still to allow him time to assess their situation.

"I don't think it saw us…" He whispered, watching as the large tail disappeared into some foliage just as the last bit of daylight began to filter out of the forest. "I think it's heading east. Camp should be fine." He felt Abby release a shaky breath and turned to look down at her. "We'll wait here for – Jesus….."

"What?" She laughed, pulling away a bit to get a good look at him. She closed her eyes with a sigh. No words were needed, his expression told her that the beast had doubled back around and was currently lurking behind her. "Connor…"

"Abby… move."

"Connor…"

"Move NOW!" He shoved her and dove the opposite direction, allowing his bag to fall as he regained his balance with his spear. The serpent hit the tree with enough force to crack the trunk. With a hiss, it used its momentum to launch itself at Connor, emitting a shrill noise he had never heard from a snake when he jabbed the roof of its mouth with the tip of his weapon. "Abby, run! Head back!" The darkness was making it difficult to keep eyes on his opponent. He yelped as struck again, a fang grazing his right arm as he evaded its hungry jaws. "Abby?!" He felt a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach when she didn't answer. He couldn't see her. It was too dark…

Its tail was like a bullwhip striking his middle. He lost his balance and the next strike took him off his feet entirely, the spear landing several feet away. "A-Abby…" Connor staggered to his feet, a hand to his forehead. What was that light? Two steps and then his back slammed hard against a tree, the large snake coiling itself around man and trunk. He thought he heard a voice as the serpent began to squeeze. His world exploded into white and he found that he couldn't scream with the pressure on his torso. He couldn't fight back with his arms pinned to his sides. There was a loud crack. Was that his ribs or the tree? Was this how it was going to end for him? Was Abby going to be okay?

"GET OFF HIM!"

Abby. That light again. What was she doing? The pressure relented, but his head hit something hard. He still couldn't focus, couldn't breathe. The snake was making a lot of noise. Or was that his lungs? Where was Abby? A thud. A disturbing gurgling. The light was still there, but where was Abby?

"Connor!"

Oh. There she was. He could feel her touching him; his chest, his head, but he couldn't remember what was going on. Were they out in the field? Where was Becker? Matt?

"Connor, stay with me!"

What was she talking about? He had no intention of going anywhere. His head hurt though. What was going on again?

"Connor! Connor!"

He really needed to sleep this off. Hello, darkness.

Save me if I become my demons

TBC – Me likey reviews. J