Help Her
‘Now what do I do?’ Kris wondered. She couldn’t take her eyes away.
Watching the display of the woman struggling to free herself - and hearing the pained undertone to the strange woman’s grumbling - struck at a part of Kris. Deep within her, she felt a wave of… sensation she’d never felt before, and she was overcome with the urge to help this woman, even if she looked different and sounded menacing.
Besides, what did it say about her as a human being if she abandoned someone in need? She wasn’t the smartest or the strongest, sure, but Kris felt like she could do something.
“You really just going to watch?” the woman asked. “I told you. Leave me be.”
Kris clicked her teeth together. “And let you suffer?”
“I appreciate the concern,” the woman said. “But it isn’t your business to worry about me. Be sensible, and just go. I’ll live.”
Kris shook her head. Her heart was thudding heavier now.
Without a word, she moved to the ensnared side, and started looking over the metal ropes digging into the woman’s fur-covered body. She could see a little blood here and there from cuts, but, she ignored those, and instead found a loose enough rope for her to grab onto. She did so and started to tug at it, locating a way to help get it off the woman.
The odd woman stopped and eyed her, watching with those feral, catlike eyes.
“Suit yourself,” she muttered.
Kris focused only on trying to untangle the rope - it was cold and thick and heavy, definitely like it was made from metal - but she was able to work around it, even with the taller frame of the Thundercat lady. It took a good bit of time, yet eventually, she was able to untangle a good portion of the rope, just enough that she was able to remove part of it from the woman’s bound arm.
This seemed to surprise the woman. She moved her arm, and with Kris’ help, she was able to pull her arm free from the rope. When she’d done this, she was able to turn her body, enough that she could sit upright.
“Finally,” she muttered, flexing and wriggling her right arm and hand about. She turned to stare at Kris. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome…” Kris replied.
The strange woman gently nudged Kris aside before untangling her leg from the same ropes. She did this much quicker than Kris could’ve, and, after a few minutes, she was free. She pushed herself away from the ropes and managed to stand. Kris did the same, and was taken aback by how tall the woman was.
“I’ve been trapped in those stinking things for goddamned HOURS now,” the woman said. She cracked her neck and her shoulders before she stopped. “Oh. Right. I forgot about blood loss.”
Kris frowned. “What do you…?”
But the woman teetered and then just plain collapsed onto the ground before Kris could finish speaking. Kris yelped, then crouched down beside the woman, who was definitely unconscious. She stared at her for a moment before her brain kicked into high gear.
Now what, she wondered, glancing about.
She knew she could stay and wait for the woman to wake up. She could try to find help if she ran fast enough to the shop she’d passed. She could even try to tend to the woman’s wounds herself, if she were daring enough.
She had to make a decision either way, and ideally a fast one.
Written by Hollowpages on 06 February 2020
