Free Bandits by L M Preston

slender branch opened and a thin black tipped tongue whipped out to stab Faulk in the neck. Faulk’s hand flew up and was punctured by the pointed black tip of the tongue. Dani el threw his knife, and sliced it in two, and Faulk quickly stood with his knife drawn, his hand shaking slightly.
    Faulk pointed upward. “Up there! Nickel’s up there!”
    Daniel looked up to see Nickel being pulled up higher by the thin black tongue of one of the branches. He knew he had to get Nickel free before its mouth snaked out. The top of the willow tree expanded, and the waterfall of flowers sank within it. The pink round mouth of sharp, jagged black teeth snaked out of the hollow opening at the top of the tree, and the pretense of its beauty disappeared. A moan of hunger vibrated from within the tree. Daniel knew that once its prey was placed within its mouth, the acidic poison within its bark would i n stantly devour his brother.
    “Find Jade! I’ve got to get Nickel,” Daniel called, and pulled out his gun.
    “You sure you…,” Faulk faltered.
    “GO!”
    Daniel shot at the branches and then at the surrounding willows, which started to attack. The hungry willow pulled Nickel closer and closer to its mouth as it wrapped its coarse branch tightly around him.
    Nickel squirmed. “Ugh! Hurry!”
    “Cut it!” Daniel grunted with determination and grabbed an attacking branch to swing to the willow that held Nickel. Dodging the trees’ attempt to capture and hold him, he cut and swung until he got to the tree that held Nickel.
    “My knife!” Nickel wailed. “I dropped it!”  His angry e x pression belied the fear of being eaten by a tree. He twisted and struggled. With each twist, the willow tightened its hold as it wound taut around his chest and crossed his thin arms.
    “I’m almost there, Nick! Fight it! You’re getting too close to the mouth,” Daniel yelled out and then cut the rubbery tongue of the willow that jutted out to attack him. Catching his breath, he stuffed his gun in his belt. He jumped onto the branch nearest Nickel before it could constrict around his hand. Daniel wrapped his legs around the bare bark of the tree that was holding Nickel captive.
    “Hurry!” Nickel called out.
    “Hold on! Bite it!” Daniel bellowed.
    “What?” Nickel replied.
    “Fight harder!” Daniel pierced his knife into the bark of the fighting tree with full intensity, and he aimed his gun at the branch whipping below him that held his brother.
    Nickel wiggled and wrestled to get free. “It keeps squee z ing my arms!”
    “Bite it off! The tongue is soft. I’m going to shoot at it. Now Nickel. NOW !” Sweat dripped from Daniel’s brow as he aimed and tried not to hit a jerking Nickel. He shot at the branch above Nickel’s head.
    Nickel bit down on the tree’s soft tongue and didn’t let go as it tried to snake around his mouth. Daniel’s bullet hit its mark, and the tongue jerked within Nickel’s mouth as he bit through it. Daniel took another shot at the limb beneath Nickel. While Nickel bit down harder on the limp tongue, he wiggled one arm out while trying to break free of the rubbery flesh.
    Nickel started to slip and punched down on the lifeless tongue as it loosened around him. He landed on the ground with a roll, and reached over to grab his knife.
    Daniel cut through and disentangled himself from a limp branch, and stuffed his gun in his belt. He dropped down to the ground, and sand kicked up around him when he landed on his feet. Both Daniel and Nickel looked at each other while they bent on their knees to catch their breath. Daniel put his knife in his belt and stood. The sparse forest of trees swayed calmly, as if they’d given up.
    Daniel made sure he stayed on the path of rocks that lead to the next cluster of trees ahead. “Let’s go. Jade and Faulk probably need our help.” They ran into the slight clearing beyond the corpses of the trees they’d left. Daniel looked around and headed off the path in