Stink Bug – Chapter 26

For a fleeting moment, I thought I could flap my arms and fly. Everything moved slowly and I seemed to hover in space. The white rock face drifted past at first, then gained speed. It startled me and I wheeled my arms to gain lift. It didn’t work. The rock raced by. I twisted in time to see the ground rushing toward me. I put out my arms. Sharp pain in my shoulder and neck.

In the darkness, I heard agitated squawking and flapping of wings. I opened my eyes. The blurry images of Vr’ak’l hopping around me. A hand touched my face.

“Nate?”

I tried to speak. No words came out.

“Nate? Can you hear me?”

I squinted. V’x was hovering over me. “Wake Nate,” she was saying. She seemed so far away.

Another head appeared above me. “T’r’bl is coming.” The words echoed in my head.

“K’eel?” I tried to say. She didn’t hear me. She and V’x were conversing in trills and whistles that hurt my ears.

“You’ll be fine.” K’eel’s voice startled me. I recognized T’r’bl’s voice as well, but couldn’t tell what she was saying. Someone was shaking my shoulder. I drifted off again.

I was rocking. A boat, I guessed. Chattering and flapping. “Help,” I whispered.

“We’re here,” V’x reassured my. I was on a litter. She was carrying me. Others were too.

It seemed dark. “Night?” I said.

“No, rain,” V’x replied.

A flash of lightning caused me to shut my eyes. The rain flooded down, but I was shielded by a canopy of wings. I coughed and pain shot through my neck and shoulders. The mist on my face felt good. The sound of the rain was calming.

The rocking returned. The Vr’ak’l were jogging and hopping as they carried me. The sky was still dark, but the rain was gone. “Raining?” I muttered.

The Vr’ak’l were chattering frantically among themselves. I tried to look around, but it was too painful. A beam of sunlight cut across my chest. The sun was low. A moment later, the sun was gone.

I heard a buzzing. First I thought it was a bumblebee, then a large box fan. The Vr’ak’l began to cry out. The buzzing consumed us. The corner of the litter by my left foot dropped and I began to roll.

Amidst a flurry of feathers and beating wings, I found myself lying face down on the ground. Booted feet approached. The Vr’ak’l had all vanished save one, who hissed and flapped at the converging people.

Keepers, I thought.

The Vr’ak’l cried out as the keepers threw her to the ground. It was V’x. I knew her voice. The others must have flown away.

A keeper gripped my shoulder and tried to roll me to my back. I cried out, and everything went black.

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