The Amitto: A Short Story

The Amitto
I lay on cold hard ground, trying to recover my bearings. I push myself up, the gash in my left leg hurting like never before. Nevertheless, I continue into the blackness, deeper into the woods. I run, and run, and run, farther into the veil of darkness that encompasses me. It feels like I have been running for months now, but still I endeavor. The only thing that guides me is the pale light from the full moon, shining like a glimmering opal in the sky. I don’t remember how I got here; the last thing I remember is tremendous pain, like being hit by a car, then waking up in this god forsaken land. Giant oaks surround me; their entangling roots occasionally causing me to stumble. The air smells wet and dank, with the whispers of ghosts saying “are you in
It has red eyes that burn with anger and hatred for everything living, and fingers that have long sickle like claws capable of cutting copious amounts of trees with a single fell swoop. It moves with speed and certainty, stalking it’s prey from the darkness. It periodically let’s out maddening shriek to remind you of it’s presence, never in sight, but always watching. As I run deeper and deeper into the woods, the shrieks become more frequent. They began at one in an hour, speeding up until one in a minute, each one closer than the last. Each step I take is harder than the last, sending spikes of pain through my body. I stop to catch my breath, coughing up blood into the crook of my arm. The repugnant smell of iron from the blood nauseates me. As I rest, the horrific reality dawns on me: I can not escape. No matter how long or fast I run, there is no escape from the beast that pursues me. As I wait for the inevitable, the Amitto lets out a final continuous scream, delighted in the fact of my capitulation. His approach sends shocks of fear deep into my chest. As he comes down at me with his vicious claws ready to reap his reward, everything goes black, and I descend into the eternal darkness of