Unexpected Turn of Events

The mother shrieked in the most harrowing way possible, making my sensitive ears bleed. A small stick fell into her mouth, making her choke. Thank god. The predator outside attacked and pulled at the nest, trying to break in for its sweet food. My siblings tremble in terror, looking to their mother for safety. I saw the nest vividly shake, and anticipated the moment it would break. Any second now.

Our mother pulls us all close between her wings, she muttered lies to us. It’ll all be okay, It’ll all be okay. She showed true motherly love, and tried to protect us in what would most likely be her last moment. But I couldn’t care less of what she had to say. The second I could I would use my invisibility and get the hell out of here. I aint sinking with the ship.

“Mom, I’m scared,” My brother croaked.

If I wasn’t a parasite, I’d probably feel bad for him. But I am and I don’t feel bad for him. I’m incapable of empathy for anyone but myself, and for that fact. I am scared as shit for my own life. This could be the last moment of my life.

“It’ll be okay, momma is here to protect you,” she said.

The nest broke.

There was a cat on the outside. A fucking cat. One with red eyes and two swirling tails. Its black fur looked smooth. Its teeth were jagged, and the spit covering them, crimson red.

Our mother charged at it knocking it back. My siblings stood still, fear freezing their bodies. I jumped out of the nest.

“Fools, run whilst our mother distracts the beast,” I shout at them, before making my own run.

The mother and the cat are fighting on the side of the branch leading towards the tree. If I run in the opposite direction, I’ll have to jump off. I look down, I see an uncountable number of branches descending. The height makes my heart stop.

I’m sneaking past them, and climbing down the tree. I will not fly. Nope. I will not. I can’t fly, so it’s not even a question.

The mother has pinned the cat down with her claws and is flapping her wings to generate more force to keep it down. The cat's tails swirl maddeningly in the air. My siblings are jumping in the opposite direction.

Ignorance is bliss. If only they knew the horror behind height. The impending doom it brings. The many visions of being squished flat. On other thoughts, perhaps turning into a bird wasn’t the smartest choice. Next time I’ll pick a snake.

“Invincibility, ACTIVATE,” I shout, and my mother bats me an eye filled with confusion. But her eyes don’t meet anything.

In the brief moment the mother broke eye contact with the cat, the cat jerked and twisted and was now on top. The tides of the battle had turned, and the cat’s claws were digging deep into the mother. She shrieked.

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Good distract her, you grasshopper snatching, good for nothing old bird.

I skit past them. My invisibility hides my presence. The cat suddenly looks at me, as if it can see me, but its eyes don’t focus on anything. That’s when I remember, I’m still cloaked in blood.

I break the skitting and start running, balancing left and right. Running like a drunk duckling waddling left and right, trying to maintain balance.

My mother stopped moving. She’s dead. Her red blood drips down from the branch . The cat doesn’t stop to eat, instead its eyes scour for the children. It looks confused at my location. Its nose and eyes are telling it two different stories. It keeps staring blindly at my location as I run for the trunk of the tree.

The cat breaks out of its trance and looks for my siblings. It spots them and rushes for them. Thank god.

I’ve reached the trunk. I see the other branch. I have to jump to it. I have to. There’s no choice in the matter, but if I fail the jump, I fall down to my doom. I’m a bird, but I sure as hell can’t fly yet.

Fuck my fears. I jump.

As I land I feel my head bounce down into the torso. I jump to the next branch, and then to the next branch. I have to get off this damn tree.

Wait a second. What am I going to do when I reach the bottom? Anything down there’ll eat me alive, like that blue legged centipede. Fuck. I really fucked up choosing a bird didn’t I.

But still, I have to go down there. Otherwise I’ll never get food, otherwise I’ll be stuck here for the rest of my life, and I’ll soon die by that demon-looking cat.

I jump to the next branch, and trip. My world swirls around me, different colours blending into each other. It feels like my stomach is going to fall through my mouth. I hear the wind swish. The different branches I fall into, push me, and slow me.

I keep falling until I’m down on the dirt, dizzy and exhausted from the fall. My heart’s never gone this quickly. I can see the countless branches above me. At least I’m not in the tree anymore.

The dizziness fades away and I’m left with adrenaline. I survived motherfucker! Didn’t expect that did you index?

There were 173 more efficient ways to survive.

Ultimate quest success rate has gone down = 0.0000000033%

Fuck you index!

Suddenly, two mantises land in front of me. I can’t catch a fucking break can I? My mind is still dizzy, but I’m much larger than the two of them. Maybe the transmigration wasn’t so stupid afterall.

The first mantis leaps at me suicidally. I throw my beak out, enveloping his head and snapping. Crack! It drops down on the floor, it’s feet kicking lightly. Too late motherfucker.

4 Xp gained.

The other mantis stares at me. It’s eyes show an intelligence not found in the other one. This one is a different beast, and I’m in for a different challenge. We walk around, circling each other.

The strangest thing happens. Its large green claws, that are meant for trapping the enemy, start waving as if its not an exoskeleton but limbs. The claws fly out and slash for my torso; it connects.

It hurts, and makes me grunt. I feel warm blood sweep out from the wound. This could be where I die. I’ve thought that too much lately.

Suddenly, its wavy claws connect to each other, and turn into a drill. They rise up in the air and fall down like a meteor into my torso, piercing my skin and drilling down towards my heart.

A muscle parasite has been detected. A coalition can be formed. Do you wish to form a coalition? The coalition will only form if you both agree. You may speak to the parasite now.