Blackfoot Forest a boy like me

What part of I'm trying did Orochi not understand? Hide struggled more earnestly against the spiky thorns, only to have Orochi lean in and grab his scruff... kind of. It seemed the older boy would try again, only this time... he fell forward. 

Hide let out a sharp yelp, squeezing his eyes shut as his friend toppled in on top of him. It did hurt, badly, and brought tears to his eyes, but not only from the pain. Now, both of them might be stuck, and there were still monsters out there... Hide felt sick. The boy pressed his ears to his skull, eyes wide and breath quickening as pawsteps skittered to the right, followed by a sharp laughing sound. It still wasn't registering that they were just foxes. 

"We've... we have to... we've gotta get out," he panted, feeling almost dizzy with how quickly he was breathing. "What if it's something... what if..." His mouth was dry and his head felt a little fuzzy. He felt helpless and defenseless and scared, and he hated it.