My body plunged into its freezing depths and the air from my lungs was knocked away. I scrounged around in the dark not knowing which way was up and trapped underwater with no sight or sound.

I floated there with no sense of direction. Which was up? I was hurt. My temples were pounding from the headache I had and I was running out of air. I was too hurt to swim but I treaded water regardless of my pain. I didn’t want to die yet. I thought about Donny. If he landed in this there was a chance he was still alive. I had to survive and find him. Something was circling me and my sense of danger was on alert. It was big.

It snapped up my shirt and began swimming with haste. I wrestled around with it but it hit me with its big tail and kept swimming its other tail around me, constricting me. The only good thing was that we broke the surface. It dragged me onto the muddy bank and then left me there as someone whistled.

“Betsy, where’d you go?”

I lay still in the darkness waiting for whoever was there to walk by, but Betsy led them straight to me. I groaned and tried to move but the burn didn’t let me and I hissed. A large male wearing dark clothes and a straw hat came into view.

“Hmm. Just like that other ones we found eh girl?” said the man as he bent to pet the thing that wolfed a yes.

“Ok up you go,” said the man, lifting me in his arms and carrying me bridal style. I was too tired to argue with him about being a grown guy, besides I couldn’t walk for myself. I fell asleep and was jostled awake a few minutes later by a fretful Donny who was pacing the lit tent area we were in.

“You made it too?” he said. “I-I wouldn’t have if it weren’t for the symbiote that found me. I don’t know where Andromeda is.”

“Symbiote?” I questioned as the tent was parted and the same man walked in. Donny was shaking slightly and I paid attention to the man. He looked human except for his fingers. They were long and spindly but that could be a birth defect. Is that what a Symbiote was? Someone not born as the Universe intended? He also had fangs like me and Jude but did that make him evil? From what I’d heard Symbiotes were horrible monsters. This guy had rescued us. And Andy? Where was she? I didn’t spot her anywhere with him. I was worried for my girlfriend if that’s what we were.

I couldn’t move very well yet due to the immense burn but I didn’t get bad vibes from the man as he approached holding something that smelled like honey.

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“My name’s Greg Sawyer and I’m a nymbite. I can cure that horrible burn if you let me,” he said pointing to my chest. I had no choice. If I wanted to get better I had to let him heal me. I nodded and he came over with the honey pot and spilled its contents over me. I shuddered at the gooeyness of the concoction. It was lathered into my burns and like Bengay, it got hot then cold then hot again.

“That ought to do it. I’ll come by and lather in some more later. Try to sit up. The pain should have lessened,” he said putting his arm around my waist to help me sit. I thanked him and sat up.

Donny gasped as he stared at my burnt chest. “What happened?”

“I was shot with a laser gun. Have you seen Andromeda?” I said shrugging it off as I usually did.

Donny growled. “And Reynolds gave them another chance too! Like what in hell were they thinking? No, She’s been AWOL since we found you. She was here with us, but she went on her own to find you.”

“They usually don’t. So Andy was here,” I muttered shifting slightly my legs and hissing as my chest constricted. That was a bad move. Betsy came into the tent and Donny laughed as the thing pawed for a belly rub. It was a mixture of a water reptile and a dog. It had green and black scales on its belly and sleek black fur on its back. A long crocodile snout but cute puppy brown eyes and floppy ears. Its legs were canine and huge in front and reptile-like in back. To top it off it had two tails. One a long rod-like tail, and the other a long rope-like tail. It was cute in a lethal fashion I guess. It thumped both tails on the ground and threw itself down for a belly rub.

“Who’s the good girl?” cooed Donny as he pet Betsy and I shuddered. I didn’t want that thing near me. I didn’t like dogs. To hell if I’d like mutant ones even if it saved my life! It eyed me and rolled over thumping a tail and walking near me. I stiffened. Greg saw this and led Betsy away. I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank the Universe!

Donny turned to me. “So what happened after I took a dive?”

“I smirked and retold my story of effrontery ’cause that’s what it had been. It hadn’t been smart. Actually, I should’ve gone after Lana first now that I think about it. Even if I probably would have lost. She as I’ve always known was the real danger.

“I can’t believe I used to have a crush on her,” I muttered shifting around and trying to get comfortable. I hissed when my stomach contracted and my chest constricted. The pain was returning so I laid back down wincing.

“What was that?” said Donny as he munched on some bread the Nymbite Greg had given us. I was hungry but not for bread or food. My blood craving was at an all-time high and my hunting senses were sensitive. Donny smelled like lead and chocolate. The chocolate was tantalizing and the kid was looking like one big snack to me. I gulped and tried to shift. I hissed and grabbed my throat.

“D-Don-nny? Can you l-leave t-the t-tent for a-awhile? I-I n-need s-some a-alone t-time.”

Donny shrugged. “Sure! Holler if ya need something!”

He walked out of the tent but Greg walked right in a scowl on his face. “You’re a Houl aren’t you?”

“I d-don’t k-know if there’s a n-name for w-what I a-am. I was b-bitten by a v-vampire fiend’s v-victim.”

Greg rubbed his chin. “And you drink blood?” he said sitting beside me with another honey pot.

“Yes.”

“In that case, you’re gonna have to wait until I go hunting. Animal blood ain’t as good as human but it’ll tie you over.”

“Thank you. I-I don’t w-want to h-hurt Donny so c-can you e-entertain him t-til I f-feed?” I asked yawning.

Greg nodded. “He can go hunting with me. In a few days, you should be good enough to walk the distance to the settlement.”

“S- Settl-Settlement?” I asked as he dipped his hands in another honey pot.

“You don’t think I live in this tent do ya?” he said chuckling and spreading the honey over my burn. He lathered some more of the honey concoction on me and I fell asleep thinking about the settlement. I hoped that we could find Andy before then.