Every once in a while, a strange sound would make my ears pop. I turned to the window and rolled it up.

It happened again. It was like the sound of a cloth against the wind. A batting sound. A loud one at that.

We made a sharp turn on the highway and through my sideview mirror, I spotted something that made my jaw drop: something muscular was flying in the air, tailing our car. I could be losing it but this thing looked like it had the wings of a bat.

"Jim, what's going on!?" I pleaded.

Jim exhaled. "Things are going to get ugly."

Before I could ask for an elaboration, Jim said, "Whatever you do, don't leave my side unless I tell you to. Follow all of my directions exactly as I tell you to. Clear?"

When did he turn into Simon says?

"Are we clear?" he repeated.

"Yeah, yes, we are," I replied, nodding.

He had a grim expression on as we got off the highway and onto a road near the woods.

Something shrieked and I cupped my ears. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It sounded like...like a trumpet. A mega trumpet.

Jim cursed and muttered something that sounded like, "She's worse than I thought."

Who's worse than he thought? Could it be...

"Jeremiah, it's gaining on us. We have to get out of the car very soon." Jim stole a glance at the rear-view mirror. "There's a sword in the trunk. I want you to take it and to use it however necessary."

"A sw--"

"Now's not the time for questions! Your life, as well as mine is in danger."

Emotions coiled and festered within me.

Phewwwwm!

Something that sounded like a valkyrie launched and hit the asphalt a few feet ahead of us.

Jim spun the steering wheel.

The tires screeched and a deafening scraping sound filled the air. It continued for a few more seconds.

It came from my side. What looked like a giant stick of lead had scraped against the right side of the car.

We picked up speed again and to my surprise, Jim didn't complain about his paint job being ruined.

He drove a hundred yards or so and pulled over. He threw off his seat belt and yelled, "Get out of the car and grab the sword! Leave everything else!"

I did as I was told.

The trunk opened and I saw something gleam behind my bag. I picked up the sword, and stared for a second at the orange and yellow luster.

"Jeremiah, go!" Jim's voice was almost shrill.

He gestured towards the woods and said "Keep running, don't look back. Pass a thick pine tree and continue until you reach what looks like a farmhouse."

I was going to say something, but Jim's tone suggested acquiescence as a better alternative.

I ran, intentionally avoiding looking at the sky. There is no way this is happening. But somehow it is. I'm huffing and puffing so that's real enough.

The familiar valkyrie sound was back.

Something rushed behind me but before I could turn, a sharp object pierced my leg.

I collapsed and an acute pain shot through my calves. Tears welled up in my eyes.

"Jeremiah! Jeremiah!"

The sound of a trumpet blared again and sreeching birds flocked to the skies.

Was that an arrow or was that a bird? Something was flying round after round but my head was roaring much louder.

I raised my head. A giant piece of lead or whatever it was had pierced my leg and was now wedged into the ground beside me. Something was running in my blood. Something I knew didn't belong. It stung remorselessly.

My heart skipped a beat. Poison.

Panic crawled its way into my throat.

"Jeremiah, you have to get to the farmhouse. I'm coming. Just stay with me." Jim said, breathlessly.

I struggled to stand, my head swimming. Was my face drenched in sweat? Too many useless thoughts.

Pheeewwm!

The giant projectile slammed into a tree ahead of me. A low, groaning sound came from the tree.

The tree creaked and to my horror, it fell right towards us.

My leg was wounded; I'd never make it out in time.

It was over.

I shut my eyes and clenched my teeth.

Fwhack!

I heard a grunt and when I opened my eyes, I saw Jim standing over me. He was holding the tree up with both hands. His face was red from the effort and his legs began to buckle.

"Go. It's coming." he whispered.

I shuddered and crawled. I used another tree for support and stood up. My leg throbbed as I began limping away.

I didn't get very far before I heard a crash.

"JIM!"

Anger was bubbling within me. Somehow, I was standing. I spotted my sword.

A thud was followed by a demonic snarl.

And I saw my foe: a thick beast, with the body of an auburn lion, the dark, taut wings of a bat and the malevolent tail of a scorpion.

It roared its trumpet-like cry but I was already at my sword.

I blinked and the beast was upon me. The tail beared down with immense speed and I swung my sword, too little too late.

It slammed into my stomach and I flew into something hard and bark-like.

My head dropped. I could hear the beast run towards me.

I looked up in time to see the contorted, grotesque figure with gleaming yellow eyes.

Something thin smacked into the beast.

It shrieked and swung its head.

Another arrow pierced its arm.

The beast wailed and spun its head to face its attacker.

Jim stood on a rock, bow and arrow ready. He had blood dripping from his hairline but he stood calm and focused as if this was daily routine.

The beast sprang and flew towards him, traveling much faster than anything I had ever seen.

Jim fired an arrow and missed. He fired another one and the beast arched its tail.

My eyes widened and I ran with my sword.

The beast launched the projectile from its tail and Jim jumped off his vantage point.

The rock was skewed by the beast's handiwork.

I huffed and limped as the beast fired another projectile.

I was ten feet behind it. I poised and charged.

The beast turned but I swung with an unearthly battlecry.

My sword cut through the muscular tail, cleanly and easily.

The beast shrieked as the tail collapsed with a thud.

An odd odor emanated from the tail and Jim took this opportunity to fire another arrow.

The beast had tried to pounce on me but Jim's arrow threw it off.

Instead, it collapsed onto me, crushing me underneath its massive, lionesque body.

The pressure of the beast's torso was overwhelming but suddenly, it lifted.

Everything crumpled and turned into yellow powder. My chest ached. It hurt just thinking about getting up. The pain was back.

"What was that?" I whispered.

"Manticore," Jim heaved.

My vision began to blur and I saw nothing but black.

My head felt light and I fell in and out of consciousness numerous times. I saw people I didn't recognize, all muttering things I couldn't capture.

I dreamt that I was drinking a banana smoothie and that a dark-haired girl was feeding me fudge. It must have been a dream because it was wonderful.

However, upon smacking my lips, I could still make out a tinge of the familiar taste.

"He's waking up!" a voice shouted.

I heard clomping noises and the sound of some metal sqeaking.

My eyes fluttered open slowly and I saw a dingy ceiling fan and the face of the dark-haired girl I had seen earlier.

"Don't move, you're hurt," she warned. Her voice was soft.

Wait. What happened? My leg! Poison.

I shot up and pain clawed through me.

I fell back down with a groan. My ribs throbbed and breathing became hard.

Someone laughed. "He did exactly what you told him not to do."

"Poison. What happened?" I whispered.

"I took care of it," another, deeper voice said.

I opened an eye and saw a man with brown hair parted in half. He had an impressively groomed beard.

My head began spinning again and I fell into a slumber.

When I woke up, daylight shone in through a nearby window. Something told me this wasn't the same day I awoke last time.

This time, there was only one person in the room. She was mixing something in the corner of the room. It was that dark-haired girl. She had her hair in a twisted halo. The rest of her long hair was slightly curled but I couldn't tell if it was naturally curled or not.

I pulled off my sheets and turned so that my toes grazed the floor. I was wearing the same torn clothes I was when Jim and I fought the manticore.

Manticore. A chill ran down my spine.

I stood up and nearly fell. My sense of balance was way off. I felt as if I went to an amusement park and rode everything they had.

"Here." The girl took my arm gently and slung it over her shoulders. She placed one palm on my chest to steady me.

I was close enough to smell fresh peaches. Probably her shampoo.

I met her eyes and we stared for a moment.

She had milky skin, dark, almond shaped eyes and slightly colored cheeks.

Her cheeks reddened as I stared. We both looked away immediately.

"I'll take you outside," she said softly.

And so we ventured together.