It sprung up higher in the tree, moving with the speed and stealth of a leopard.Īmazon link: FROM MY NEW SCI-FI NOVEL, XPERIMENT It moved further out on a large branch, the glowing eyes never leaving his. It wasn’t hiding in the darkness it was the darkness. He stared at it a few seconds before it blinked. When he scanned the limbs a second time, he noticed an odd shaped shadow. His eyes searched elusive places between branches. At first, he didn’t so much see as feel something watching him from the cover of dripping leaves. Above him, in the trees, there was a rustling noise. The mowed lawn and wet clippings made it unlikely he’d detect footprints, including his own. He sat, wiping his hands on his shorts as his eyes made a three-sixty of the area. He didn’t just slip and fall, he’d been knocked to the ground, but none of his defenses had been aroused. With his heightened senses, he should have been able to detect anyone before they came at him. He searched between the trees, seeing nothing. Rain fell like silver coins all around him.

Stunned, he rolled to his side looking quickly around for the source. He tasted mud and grass, felt it coat his arms and legs. It struck the middle of his back, throwing him off balance, sending him skidding through the wet grass falling hands first into the humps of tree roots. The force that hit him from behind came without warning. Staying close to the trees as he ran, he still found himself splashing through puddles.

Xperiment by Dan Skinner