They sprinted past the tightly clumped trees, stumbling past thick tree roots and scattered debris.  Van let go of Malcolm's hand when she was sure he was meeting her pace.  Behind them, the sound of wood cracking and breaking was deafening.  The creature's heavy footsteps shook the earth in a steady pace.

Tears prickled at her eyes as she ran, heart feeling as if it would break out of her chest.  No matter how hard she tried, she could remember nothing.  The dog tags clinked against each other, mocking her lack of remembrance.  

The sound of rushing water erupted from behind and she ducked her head, wiping her tears.  Splinters of wood flew past their heads, and they moved faster, zig zagging around the trees.  They gained some ground on the creature, which had tripped on a larger tree root.  

Malcolm stopped at a large tree and hopped up to climb in what looked like desperation.  She skidded to a stop and watched him struggle up the tree, dumbfounded.  He shimmied up to the middle of the trunk, which wasn't really that high, and beckoned for her to follow.  Van looked from the Malcolm, to the tree, to the approaching beast which was preparing to shoot another blast of water from it's mouth, and time seemed to slow as possibilities ran through her mind.

A large beehive was strung on a branch that stretched out towards the lumbering creature and a long, sturdy branch lay near her feet.  She grabbed the branch and approached the tree, offering it to the boy still clinging onto the trunk.  He continued his ascent slowly, but she was sure the stick was long and strong enough for him to knock the hive down with a swift swing.

"Use this! Knock down the hive!" She hollered, and stood on her toes to offer the branch.