Fall Of The Nether Beast

• Lucy Thomas, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2018

Aninny hurtled along the path deeper into the dense jungle, her long red heir danced behind. High in the tree tops Ameer, her firepossum, glided but was keeping close. She ran until her legs and arms were covered in scratches and grazes. Even when she could not hear the terrifying roars of the Nether Bear any longer, she ran. After what seemed like hours she heard the noise of a gurgling river. Aninny knelt at the edge of muddy river bank and took a long refreshing drink. She washed the blood and dirt away from her stinging cuts.

“Ameer!” called Aninny anxiously. The young firepossum glided down onto Aninny’s shoulder. He dived down Aninnys coat and snuggled up into her shrunken stomach. His little body warmed the cold feeling of regret Anniny felt.
Anniny moved on more slowly but still with great caution. Ameer poked his tiny red head out of Aninny’s torn coat as she walked.

They walked for many hours, deeper into the dark rainforest. Dappled light shone onto the leaf litter, nymphs and spirits glided lazily around the aging trees.

When the dark carpet of night covered the sky, trees turned from graceful giants to ghostly monsters. Parasites gorged on Aninnys blood and a slow trickle of icy rain fell onto the leafy flora. Birds sang accompanied by the trumpeting of frogs finished with the chilling cry of panthers. Aninny fell into an uneasy sleep behind a log topped with mossy lichen.
Aninny woke at first light. Ameer was nowhere to be seen.
“Ameer!” called Aninny, anxiously looking for the mischievous firepossum. He chirruped guiltily, attempting to wipe the sticky juice from his face and snowy white chest.

Ameer was gorging his tiny mouth with sweet figs. Aninny swiftly climbed up the fig-tree into its spindly branches and started to feast on the sticky fruit.

Aninny and Ameer feasted on the juicey figs for the rest of the morning. They failed to notice the Nether Bear stalking them, hidden in the thick undergrowth. Nor did they hear the slight clinking of his deadly black spikes.

Quick as lighting the Nether Bear leaped from his hiding place into the air, pouncing onto one of the lower branches. He raced up the trunk of the tree onto the branch were Aninny and Ameer panicked frozen with fear. In seconds, he was on the same branch as Aninny and Ameer. The branch threatened to break. If they jumped they would fall and if they stayed they would be eaten.

Suddenly the branch snapped, they all fell as if in slow motion. The Nether Bear screamed as it tore through the branches. As Aninny fell she grasped one of the spindley branches slowly puling herself up. She gazed sadly down onto the lifeless body of the Nether Bear. Ameer was nowhere to be seen.