“I approached the corpse, and searched it for apparent injuries. Brendon had glanced at him, then investigated his car. He tried to start it, but the key wasn’t within range.
‘Does he have the keys?’ Brendon inquired, wearily, ‘I mean, do you think it’s okay if…’
‘I don’t know,’ I whispered, continuing, ‘Although it’s not as though he’ll be needing them.’
I searched the man, noticing three deep slash marks across his lower abdomen. His coat was torn to pieces, pockets ripped to shreds. I found the keys to the car a few yards from his corpse, apparently tossed there in the violent attack. What sort of beast could have done that? In our fallen world though, it could have been anything.
I turned my back to the corpse in preparation to walk to the car. The hairs on the back of my neck suddenly shot up as a low clicking snarl broke the silence of the afternoon.
“Henry! Get down!” Brendon yelled, and I immediately turned around. A gargantuan beast, wolflike in appearance, but twice as large and glowing with mysterious energy was fifteen meters away, staring at me with hungry, depraved eyes. I dropped the keys and assumed a defensive stance. But it was futile.
The heavy beast leapt with catlike agility, bowling me over and pinning me down with dagger-like claws. I hit my head hard on the rough ground, and my helmet was dislodged by the impact. It was my life-source, and it was rolling away.
But there was nothing I could do.
The mutant-monster was on top of me, pinning me down. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t breath, I was helpless.
The sound of three gunships erupted behind me. Brendon had engaged the beast, hitting it three times in the side. Wounded, it jerked violently, whipping its head to glare at Brendon. Taking the moments distraction to my advantage, I drew my knife, stabbing the wolf in the side of the neck. It unleashed a forlorn screech, and leapt off me, dashing to the safety of the forest.
Instantly, I began crawling towards my gas mask. I held my breath as long as I could, with the knowledge that even a single breath of unfiltered air could kill me. But as I slammed my helmet back, I was forced to inhale.
Immediately a screaming pain overtook my throat and I went limp. The pain spread around my body, my vision began to darken, and my heart-rate skyrocketed. Brendon, who had been monitoring the tree line rushed over to me. I breathed in again, and clean filtered oxygen entered my lungs. It somewhat eased the pain, and sent the shadows in my vision backwards.
Brendon swore and asked if I was okay.
I managed to croak an affirmative response, before easing myself down, back against the car. Still in agony, I looked across the way at the creature’s first victim, it’s dead eyes peering into my very being.”
‘Does he have the keys?’ Brendon inquired, wearily, ‘I mean, do you think it’s okay if…’
‘I don’t know,’ I whispered, continuing, ‘Although it’s not as though he’ll be needing them.’
I searched the man, noticing three deep slash marks across his lower abdomen. His coat was torn to pieces, pockets ripped to shreds. I found the keys to the car a few yards from his corpse, apparently tossed there in the violent attack. What sort of beast could have done that? In our fallen world though, it could have been anything.
I turned my back to the corpse in preparation to walk to the car. The hairs on the back of my neck suddenly shot up as a low clicking snarl broke the silence of the afternoon.
“Henry! Get down!” Brendon yelled, and I immediately turned around. A gargantuan beast, wolflike in appearance, but twice as large and glowing with mysterious energy was fifteen meters away, staring at me with hungry, depraved eyes. I dropped the keys and assumed a defensive stance. But it was futile.
The heavy beast leapt with catlike agility, bowling me over and pinning me down with dagger-like claws. I hit my head hard on the rough ground, and my helmet was dislodged by the impact. It was my life-source, and it was rolling away.
But there was nothing I could do.
The mutant-monster was on top of me, pinning me down. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t breath, I was helpless.
The sound of three gunships erupted behind me. Brendon had engaged the beast, hitting it three times in the side. Wounded, it jerked violently, whipping its head to glare at Brendon. Taking the moments distraction to my advantage, I drew my knife, stabbing the wolf in the side of the neck. It unleashed a forlorn screech, and leapt off me, dashing to the safety of the forest.
Instantly, I began crawling towards my gas mask. I held my breath as long as I could, with the knowledge that even a single breath of unfiltered air could kill me. But as I slammed my helmet back, I was forced to inhale.
Immediately a screaming pain overtook my throat and I went limp. The pain spread around my body, my vision began to darken, and my heart-rate skyrocketed. Brendon, who had been monitoring the tree line rushed over to me. I breathed in again, and clean filtered oxygen entered my lungs. It somewhat eased the pain, and sent the shadows in my vision backwards.
Brendon swore and asked if I was okay.
I managed to croak an affirmative response, before easing myself down, back against the car. Still in agony, I looked across the way at the creature’s first victim, it’s dead eyes peering into my very being.”