Theme Thursday...........RED

Opal Nation21

So Father started to quickly walk the rest of the way to camp alone. As Father got closer he started hearing some loud noises that he had never heard before. He knew that he had better be very cautious as he approached camp.

At this point I was torn between wanting to hear what was going on in the camp and the fear of hearing how Father had been in danger while approaching their camp. I started breathing louder than normal and Father stopped telling his story and actually looked at me. He sensed my fear, but at the same time I knew that he had to continue telling me the story. I had been staring out the large window in the library and I knew it was time that I sat down, so I sat down next to Ben on the library couch. I looked at Ben to see how he was doing while listening to Father's story. He looked a little pale but at the same time I could see the excitement in the anticipation of what had happened in Father's camp.

Father took another drink of his Special Reserve and then continued with the story. He told us how he had slowed his pace and was trying to approach their campsite as quietly as he possibly could. The noise was strange, almost like a large whale wailing in sadness, but there was a nasal quality to the sound. He stopped behind some bushes just outside of their camp and when Father slowly moved the bushes to peek at what was making that loud noise he told us how he could do nothing but stare at the site before him.

There was so much blood, a deep, dark red looking blood that was splattered all around their camp. What the hell had happened? It looked like a tornado had hit their camp. Everything was moved and scattered all about. Their neat, orderly campsite had been almost totally destroyed. The sunlight reflecting the red from the bloody objects sitting there. He said it looked like there had been a tremendous struggle in the camp. Then he saw what was making the noise, one of the zerthbeelees was just outside the camp, sitting there with his head raised up, like a wolf would do when howling, only the zerthbeelee was making the wailing noise.

Father circled around the outside of the camp as quickly as he could and slowly approached the zerthbeelee. There lying beside the zerthbeelee was one of the Packwitt's, he was injured with blood oozing through the hand that he held trying to cover the wound on his shoulder. The zerthbeelee was guarding the Packwitt and Father knew that he had to approach them very cautiously or the zerthbeelee would attack Father with his large claws. The Packwitt opened his eyes and saw Father. He quickly said something to the zerthbeelee who had been watching Father and was beginning to crouch down in attack mode, getting ready to pounch upon Father. The zerthbeelee wailed one more large wail and then laid down next to the Packwitt, making sure that he was touching the Packwitt.

Father still approached slowly and all the time trying to talk to the Packwitt to find out what had happened. At the moment when Father crouched down to check the Packwitt's shoulder, he heard a loud commotion behind him in the camp. He turned around to see the other Packwitt and zerthbeelee who had been behind him. The other Packwitt looked at his friend and quickly went to find the first aid kit that the Professor had brought with them. He had shown the Packwitt what it contained, and how if any of them were to get hurt that he should bring the kit immediately to them. The zerthbeelee stayed in camp and was following his Packwitt like a lost child.

When the Packwitt found the first aid kit and brought it quickly to Father, his zerthbeelee followed him and sat on the other side of the injured Packwitt and he soon started wailing as loudly as the other zerthbeelee had been doing. Then the injured Packwitt's zerthbeelee joined in and began wailing all over again. Father said it was a haunting sound and one could hear the sadness that was being communicated between the two zerthbeelees. Father quickly went to work on the injured Packwitt and he was thankful that his training in the military had him well trained in giving first aid to injured soldiers. He gave the Packwitt a shot of morphine and he quickly passed out.

Father removed the Packwitt's hand covering the wound and was shocked at what he saw.........

For those who missed part 20, here is the link. Which also links to parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16,17, 18, and 19. For more Theme Thursday's please go here.