Hot burning sun beams down, making the dirt track simmer and move about just like water flowing over the surface, in the distance, a short cloud of dust looms into the air slightly as a small dark form wobbles about a bit.

Gavin was in a bad mood as he pushed hard on the peddles of his bike moving down the dirt road and ignoring the dust that was coming up and resting on his muzzle before shaking it about.  His ears flicked about inside of his helmet and his face softened up a bit as he thought that he had to be calm for when he arrived at this small cottage that his mate had arranged.  In fact, thinking about it, Gavin chuckled at how he had actually come about with a puncture in the first place as he continued to peddle down towards the forest up ahead and hopefully some cool shade to finish off his journey since the cottage was just inside on the other end.

.... Gavin was you see already late from being kept behind by some very strange phone call as he was packing up a few thing into his backpack, making sure he had just the right amount of stuff as he looked at himself in the mirror staring back at the otter looking back at him and he frowned slightly coming away from the bed and picking up a comb to smooth out some fur that had decided to continue to stick up and watching it spring right back up.  Opening a drawer and pulling out a tub of fur gel for otters and opening it up before backing off completely from the smell and holding his breath looking at the label.  Especially made and tested on otters\x92 He wrinkled up his nose and dipped his comb into it, pulling it out and putting it back on the dressing table and muttered.  "Must've been some otters with head colds then."  Seeing the fur staying where it was as he closed the lid on the gel and threw it back into the drawer.

The phone rang then as he rushed off to the side of the bed and picked it up, placing the mouthpiece to his muzzle.  "Hello....\x94 Sounding a bit off.

There came a happy chirrp on the other side.  "Hi hon. What\x92s the matter.  I was just calling to see where you were and all?"

Gavin flopped down onto the bed, the phone cord stretching slightly as he gave a happy sigh and chirrped back.  "Sorry about that.  Not left yet."  He played with the phone cord.  "I know we need money and all but working for that stuck up nosed boss gives me the shivers.  Kept me behind knowing full well I had something planned for this weekend."

There came a few seconds silence on the other end and a happy chrring voice came into Gavin's ear.  "Well, you're free now and we have all weekend and Monday since it's a holiday.  When you be leaving?"

Gavin got up from lying on the bed to sitting on the edge.  "I am just finished packing, then I be off to be with you hon."

"Packing????  Packing what exactly?"  The voice rang in his ear.

"Oh the usual stuff you know.  Got to be prepared and all."  Gavin chuckled.  "You know what I am like."  Giving a slight chuckle into the phone.

"Oh I know what you are like.  Listen.  Just bring some change of clothes.  You won't need anything else.  We are far from anyone else you know?"

Gavin smiled and nods slightly.  "Okay.  I promise I won't bring the kitchen sink.  You sure you don't want that as well?"  Sneaking back a chuckle.

"Don't you dare?  I see you later hon.\x94 The sound of laughing on the other side and then the line went dead with a click.  Placing the handset back down into it's cradle he gets up and starts to pull out several jumpers, shirts, trousers and chuckles thinking that he had over did it really and repacks again but with a tenth of what he had packed before but into a smaller holdall this time around.

Zipping it up and turning around he growls, dropping it to the floor and pads up to the dressing table again and yanks open the drawer and takes out the gel.  "Yeah.  Really works...\x94 He tosses it into the bin and gets out a pair of scissors and decides to cut the patch of fur that refuses to stay down.  After that he turns, and with a slick motion he picks up the holdall and closes the door in his wake...

A slight hole in the path brings the otter out of his daydreaming as he fights to keep control of the handlebars but he feels himself careering off to the side, hitting a rock and flipping over the handlebars.  Yelping as he hits his shoulder against a tree, before rolling down the steep hill, bouncing about before smashing his head onto a rock and seeing the world about him black out.

Darkness, a throbbing pain wells up in Gavin as the fogginess lings about him as his eyes open bringing new pain as the bright light of the sun filters through the leaves and branches.  Getting up slightly and wincing as his head explodes in a stabbing pain he moves his aching limb up to feel the huge dent in the helmet and slowly he begins to ease the straps off from around his chin painfully and carefully moving his paws to the bottom of his helmet and pulling away, wincing as he pulls it off and looks down at the cracked collapsed casing and gives a sigh, making his ears twitch about before feeling the top of his head and wincing feeling some dampness there and pulling away quickly seeing red blood on his paw pads.

Frowning and giving his paws a wipe on his shorts and blinking at the cuts on his legs, he turns about slowly, sore as he pulls himself up, holding onto the trunk of the tree near him and stands there wobbly.  The world lurches about suddenly to the right as his claws sink into the bark making sure he didn't keel over again.  Shaking his head and trying to clear his senses he looks about a bit more, vision slowly clearing up.

Dropping the helmet to the ground and steadying himself back up again, he looked about to where he fell and looked up from the steep hill and finding it impossible to go climbing up there to the dirt track again.  With a sigh he looks about the forest with the trees and undergrowth blocking nearly every way.  With a frown he winces and shrugs.  "Well, standing here won't get me anywhere so..."  Leaving the helmet where it fell, he begins to push through the undergrowth and leaves heading in the direction to find a good place to get back to the dirt road.

*Thwack*  Gavin yelped as his paw slipped from pushing a branch away as it swung back, scratching deeply into his cheek and curses as the feeling of blood seeping down his face as he slowly rubs it to get the stinging away to no effect.  Pushing past the branch again and hoping to find some sort of clearing or a stream comes to the otters mind.

Further behind the otter, a lean big black puma moves silently through the undergrowth, it's head moving up slightly sniffing the air as it moves forwards again slowly.  Crouching down, the back legs tensed as it's ears and nose check out the area before slipping out into the small clearing and moving towards the bike helmet and looks over it, sniffing before sticking it's head inside and smelling the dried blood resting on the interior casing.  A faint yelp makes the cat jerk it's head up, ears pointing straight up as it stands still and moves around before slowly entering the forest again where the otter had a few hours before ago.

Gavin smiled as the familiar sound of water flowing comes to his ears making him speed up slightly regardless of stepping on the twigs on the forest floor making them crack and snap loudly.  Soon, the forest undergrowth begins to fade and the otter pads a bit quickly now towards the clear running water, knowing just where he is now and looking to the bridge that was still unable to get to the dirt road but there was a slight hill which would bring him to the road slightly up ahead.  He smiled as he kneeled down looking at the fresh clear water flowing past him and placing his paw in, feeling the cold substance flowing between his paw pads made him smile more.

Not wasting anymore time, Gavin placed his other paw in and using his webbing, scooped up a fair bit as he tipped it over his head.  The cold shock as the water seeped into his slightly cut and bruised head made him whimper slightly but it past as he leant over again to scoop some more water and began to drink.  He looked up and lets the water splash back into the small stream again as a slight rustle came from behind him.  Gavin's ears twitched about and he turned around and took off his holdall at the same time, placing it onto the ground.

Muttering slightly as he tries to rub his left shoulder, shaking his head.  "Come on.  There's nothing there."  He looks up to the sky and takes a deep breath before getting up again slowly, his head looking back behind him as another tingling creeps up along the back of his neck.  Picking up his holdall again and holding it in one paw, he shrugs shaking off the feeling and steps into the stream, his foot paws stretching out in the coldness of the water flowing all over them as he pads over slowly to the other side.

A slight rustle from the undergrowth reaches Gavin's ears just as he steps up out of the water and onto the bank.  His ears perk up and a slight rise of fur creeps along his back, the muscles tensing as Gavin forces his neck to look back and freezes, seeing the eyes staring at him from within the bush on the other side of the stream.  He saw the black cathead poke out from the leaves, the eyes drilling into him with the stare.

Backing off slowly as Gavin saw more of the slim, sleek cat emerge from its hiding place.  A slight growl enema ting from it's muzzle, sending a cold shiver running up Gavin's back, making him step back again a few steps before stumbling backwards on top of his holdall, a small crunch ringing out from within.  Gavin's eyes stare unblinking as he watches the black cat, slink it's way slowly to the waters edge, before one of it's paws ducks under the water surface, making Gavin realise the water isn't a good shield.  Getting up quickly, he turns around, scrapes of soil flying into the air as he pushes off running into the foliage, the cat seeing the familiar sight of it's prey turning about to flee, bounds across the stream and runs into the foliage where the otter had just disappeared in.

Gavin's blood was thumping in his ears, the pounding sound reverberating inside of his head as his veins throb in and out, the paws thrashing about, trying to get any of the branches out of his way, growling that they were slowing him down as he could here the other set of paws behind him.  Looking back to see how far he was away from his pursuer, but not seeing anything but branches and leaves covering his view from behind.  A slight pain shoots up from his left paw as he falls down landing on his side, gasping out loud as all of his air was pushed out.

Frantically coughing and swallowing air back into him, the pain racking through his body as he moves up seeing his paw trapped in between two thick roots.  Gavin growled and winced trying to pull it out and yelped feeling the ankle signalling it wasn't a good idea.  Looking about frantically for anything to use, his eyes flash past something black and his flicks back to face the head of the cat again just coming out of the bush.  Redoubling his efforts in escaping, his muzzle tenses up, both paws pulling on his leg. His eyes flicking back from his paw to the cat coming closer and back again.

Feeling the big paw touch his leg, made Gavin jolt with shock before staring open eyed at the cat looming over him, his whole body trying to scramble back but unable to move as his claws dug deep into the soil leaving behind lines in their wake.  Trying to clear his head from the mad rush of fear gripping it, squeezing the life out tightly, his neck muscles choking him before his body forced out a big gasp.

The large cat, slowly lowers his head to the fright of Gavin who instinct kicked his free leg upwards, the knee smacking right under the lower jaw of the cat, resulting in jolting back up quickly with a hiss, backing off to Gavin's relief before crying out in pain as he felt the claws cutting into his leg from a swipe of the puma's paw.  The stinging pain bringing water into his eyes as he grasps hold of his cuts, feeling the blood gushing out between his webbed paw.

Moving quickly now, the large paws pressing down on the otter\x92s chest, making him gasp out loudly again, his eyes closing over.  His body continues to shiver; making some of the leaves resting on his body rustle more than what the wind could ever manage.  The black head of the cat lowers down, sniffing the fur before biting down hard on the otters cheat and pulling back with a clump of fur, skin and muscle.

Birds shot out from the trees in a mad clutter of wings clapping from the screeching sound of the otter, his muzzle wide open, baring his sharp teeth as he howled in pain for the first time in his life.  The sheer pain racing through his body as his chest expands, making the tear in his chest open up more, eyes opened wide looking at the puma swallowing the meat that it had ripped off, the vision wavering slightly out of focus as a sheer feeling of passing out comes and goes from the otters mind.

Seeing the cat push down harder on his chest again before lowering it's head, digging into the ribcage before pulling back, the sound of bones snap loudly, making the rest of the area sound very quiet as the otters voice screamed out again, before coughing up some blood.  A trickle slowly dribbles from the corner of his muzzle, staining the fur.  The smell of blood now begins to attract the flies in the area, some landing down on the open wound or flying about slightly about both the otter and the muzzle of the large cat.

Gavin rolls his head back, not wanting to look at the sight as he feels the cat take another bite from him, he does cry out anymore, the pain already overwhelming his sensors, but moans and coughs as more blood comes out from his muzzle, the dizziness overwhelming him as he closes his eyes but opens them again with a start, fighting to keep alive.

The puma continues to dig in it's head, the sound of more bones being crushed in the jaws as it grips about the otters pulsating heart, the teeth squelching through the muscled walls, sending out large sprays of blood spurting out all over the area.  The leaves dripping in small spots of deep crimson as the otters tail thrashes about, not able to stay awake now as the life slips away from him quickly into darkness, his eyes watching for the last time as the large puma chews on his throbbing heart, blood flowing from it's muzzle, the nose covered in blood before the image wavers and clicks off, the pain suddenly drifting away from Gavin's knowledge...

Lying down on the ground not so far away from the otter corpse, still twitching occasionally, the puma licks its paws carefully, making sure that all the blood and meat are cleared from it's claws, the tongue licking it's whiskers and nose.  Taking a quick look to the carcass lying on the ground, still trapped by it's foot, it gets up slowly, stretches and pads away, leaving the rest to the flies and other scavengers....
 
FIN