before her strength gave out. Daio squeezed her and Roxie cried out in pain a second time. At this rate her legs would snap, collarbone break in two and ribs shatter. She could feel her bones starting to splinter.
Roxie opened her mouth and bit down on a fold of flesh with the force of an Aigis not wanting to be crushed to death. Daio roared and let go, spilling her onto the ground. Roxie dropped to her hands and knees, then collapsed onto her back, her limbs lacking the blood to support her, and every bone searing with the pain of shin splints.
“You little bitch! You bit me!”
No duh, Sherlock. Roxie glanced skyward to see Daio kneeling over her, eyes glowing a molten red, and one hand clamped in the other. She flopped one arm across her chest, blood pounding back to where it belonged. Roxie rolled onto her stomach and forced herself back to her hands and knees. She had to stand and fight.
Daio sucked on the skin between one massive thumb and forefinger, then came at her again with both hands. She reached out with one foot and both arms and braced herself. The fingers made a cage around her as she held one hand away with her feet and the other with her back and arms. Modest light came in between the gaps in the fingers, yet plenty came from above, and the air inside was warming. Roxie figured she could keep herself from getting crushed. Maybe. Then—one arm slipped on something slick and she almost lost her concentration. The wetness bore the same stench as Daio’s breath and she realized it was his saliva. “Ugh!” Gross! At the same time the spit gave her an idea.
Roxie’s knees were drawing closer to her chest and at the same time her shoulders hunching toward them. She envisioned herself being folding in half like a taco and every muscle in her legs and back tearing from lack of flexibility. Roxie pushed harder with one leg and curled in the opposite shoulder, causing her to slide onto the film of saliva. Using her hands and feet, Roxie pushed with the last of her might and slipped up and out of Daio’s grip. He tried to catch her again but misjudged and sent her flying through the air. Roxie landed in the limestone pit she’d fallen into earlier, right next to the hole. She rolled to a sitting position then backed away from the hole, pushing herself with her hands and heels, not wanting to count on Daio to save her again, even if he would.
A shadow passed over her and down rushed one giant hand. Roxie rolled out of its way, surged to her feet and decided now was a good time to find out if she could leap large pits in a single bound, or at least climb out. Pretending she was jumping for the rim of a basketball hoop, Roxie crouched low. Her limbs and joints burnt and ached in protest as she took in a deep breath. She shot her arms upward and sprung into the air.
Roxie made it a little over halfway up, about ten feet, then held onto the granite wall with her hands and toes. There was an earthy crash right below her that caused the wall to vibrate. Both Daio’s hands had grabbed at the spot where she’d been crouching. Roxie scrambled up the wall as fast as she could find purchase, but the ascent was slower than she liked. Half the time chunks of rock broke loose in her grip. She heaved herself over the rim of the pit and log rolled away from it. Roxie sprung to her feet and started running, then almost fell as the ground vibrated again. Five semi-circular gashes, each as wide as her torso, were carved into the rim of the pit where she’d just come out. Roxie found her balance and ran for the chain link fence a hundred yards ahead.
Daio backhanded Roxie and she sailed front-side first into the fence, then fell to the ground. She hurried to her feet, grabbed the fence in both hands and started
Roxie opened her mouth and bit down on a fold of flesh with the force of an Aigis not wanting to be crushed to death. Daio roared and let go, spilling her onto the ground. Roxie dropped to her hands and knees, then collapsed onto her back, her limbs lacking the blood to support her, and every bone searing with the pain of shin splints.
“You little bitch! You bit me!”
No duh, Sherlock. Roxie glanced skyward to see Daio kneeling over her, eyes glowing a molten red, and one hand clamped in the other. She flopped one arm across her chest, blood pounding back to where it belonged. Roxie rolled onto her stomach and forced herself back to her hands and knees. She had to stand and fight.
Daio sucked on the skin between one massive thumb and forefinger, then came at her again with both hands. She reached out with one foot and both arms and braced herself. The fingers made a cage around her as she held one hand away with her feet and the other with her back and arms. Modest light came in between the gaps in the fingers, yet plenty came from above, and the air inside was warming. Roxie figured she could keep herself from getting crushed. Maybe. Then—one arm slipped on something slick and she almost lost her concentration. The wetness bore the same stench as Daio’s breath and she realized it was his saliva. “Ugh!” Gross! At the same time the spit gave her an idea.
Roxie’s knees were drawing closer to her chest and at the same time her shoulders hunching toward them. She envisioned herself being folding in half like a taco and every muscle in her legs and back tearing from lack of flexibility. Roxie pushed harder with one leg and curled in the opposite shoulder, causing her to slide onto the film of saliva. Using her hands and feet, Roxie pushed with the last of her might and slipped up and out of Daio’s grip. He tried to catch her again but misjudged and sent her flying through the air. Roxie landed in the limestone pit she’d fallen into earlier, right next to the hole. She rolled to a sitting position then backed away from the hole, pushing herself with her hands and heels, not wanting to count on Daio to save her again, even if he would.
A shadow passed over her and down rushed one giant hand. Roxie rolled out of its way, surged to her feet and decided now was a good time to find out if she could leap large pits in a single bound, or at least climb out. Pretending she was jumping for the rim of a basketball hoop, Roxie crouched low. Her limbs and joints burnt and ached in protest as she took in a deep breath. She shot her arms upward and sprung into the air.
Roxie made it a little over halfway up, about ten feet, then held onto the granite wall with her hands and toes. There was an earthy crash right below her that caused the wall to vibrate. Both Daio’s hands had grabbed at the spot where she’d been crouching. Roxie scrambled up the wall as fast as she could find purchase, but the ascent was slower than she liked. Half the time chunks of rock broke loose in her grip. She heaved herself over the rim of the pit and log rolled away from it. Roxie sprung to her feet and started running, then almost fell as the ground vibrated again. Five semi-circular gashes, each as wide as her torso, were carved into the rim of the pit where she’d just come out. Roxie found her balance and ran for the chain link fence a hundred yards ahead.
Daio backhanded Roxie and she sailed front-side first into the fence, then fell to the ground. She hurried to her feet, grabbed the fence in both hands and started
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