My hands had reached up, but I had reacted too late. I knew I was going down with the branch, and even if by some miracle I survived, it would not be without some serious injuries. Worse still, the very angry boar was there as well, and would be even angrier due to the tree branch I just dropped on it, along with myself. For a split second, I was pretty sure I was a goner.
Just as my short little life was about to flash before my eyes, I felt something grab my arm and yank on it. The grip and strength nearly pulled my arm out of its socket, but that was nothing compared to what felt like a lightning bolt traveling up my arm and throughout my body. Before I could yelp in pain, I was chucked to the side like a bale of hay and belly-flopped onto another large branch. Having the wind thoroughly knocked out of me, I nearly blacked out. Nevertheless, I managed to look back, my bleary eyes catching sight of a figure disappearing into the trees. Was that a very big...monkey?
I was too addled to think straight, but as I lay over the branch like a piece of laundry hung out to dry, I saw Chris down below as he carefully approached the boar. The boar was still very much alive, but it appeared the branch had possibly broken its hip or its back, as it writhed and struggled to get to its feet, squealing to the high heavens. Staying in the blind spot provided by the tree limb, Chris came up beside the boar and shoved the make-shift spear into its eye. With a god-awful scream, the boar finally shuddered and lay still.
"Tori, you okay?" Chris called up to me after ensuring the boar was dead. Nodding, I managed to lug myself over to the tree trunk and shimmy down, dreading the bruises I would have tomorrow. "That was quite a jump," Chris stated, impressed, as he looked up at the tree.
It was only then I noticed the distance between the widowmaker and the branch I had landed on. It was a good fifteen feet, something I doubted I could jump even with a good run, let alone from a standing position, not to mention with no real leverage beneath my feet. So was I right, had that mysterious figure actually rescued me? But why?
"It wasn't a jump--" I was about to explain to Chris when I realized he was no longer next to me, but was heading in the direction he had lured the boar from. Of course, we had injured to deal with, strange monkey-like creatures could wait until later.
Running over with Chris, we saw the group gathering where the man with the goatee had gone flying. Luckily, Chris had managed to draw the boar to me before anyone else was injured, but by the traces of blood I saw, I knew whatever happened to goatee-man was no small injury.
"Luke, hey, stay with me man!" one of the other men who had been helping goatee-man (or Luke, I suppose) stalk the boar had his hands over a nasty gash in Luke's thigh, trying to keep him from bleeding too much. Chris quickly stripped off his shirt and used it to staunch the wound and applied pressure.
"Aaah, goddamn pig," Luke whimpered weakly from the pain. Apart from Chris, all the others seemed fairly shaken. It was obvious we had to make some hard decisions. Taking a deep breath, I spoke up to try to get everyone organized, and suggested we...