Run. Got to keep running. Don’t stop. Don’t look back. If I stop, I
die.
With
those simple thoughts racing through his head, Osborn sprinted ahead as fast as
he dared in the near total blackness that consumed him. His heart raced. He
stopped sweating a minutes ago, stopped feeling his soiled pants even longer.
However, the aching pain in his side still remained, pulsing in rhythm to his
heart. It felt wet and sticky.
That bloody thing got me! It got me! It’s
going to finish me just like it did Cooper, I can’t keep this up.
Thud.
Thud.
Osborn continued his mad dash for
survival. He didn’t need his medical experience to know he has lost too much
blood. Just a few more minutes and he would be finished. The others! Maybe I can lure this thing away and give them a chance. As
long as there isn’t more.
Thud. Thud
Was it still after him? He didn’t
dare look back and even if he did, he doubted he could make out anything past
arm’s length with his flashlight acting up the way it was. Maybe it stopped the
chase? He could just take a quick break, sit down for a minute. No! That was
the exhaustion talking. With what happened to Cooper was still fresh in his
mind, he found a new pool of adrenaline and pushed on.
It all happened so quickly. One
minute they were walking down the expansive tunnel, bantering like the old
childhood friends they were. Having been walking for nearly half an hour, the
two of them were yet to cross a bone not to mention a survivor. Just when they
were considering the mission a forlorn hope, Cooper quickly called a halt and
crouched down to examine the ground. Something had recently been through these
tunnels, something rather large. Giving the order to go on high alert, Cooper
cursed. He should have noticed the prints before. By now they were deep in the
tunnel with no easy way out if it came to that.
The next minute, Cooper was
reaching for his radio to warn the others. That’s when a large blur suddenly
leapt from a wall, hitting the floor and bringing Cooper down with it. Coopers
assault rifle was uselessly pinned beneath his own body. With both his side arm
and knife hanging at his belt, things were looking grim. With an inhuman howl,
the bestial shadow plunged dagger like talons towards Cooper’s throat as he
struggled to unsheathe his combat knife and bring it up in time to save his
life. With a loud clash, claw and knife collided. Rushed, Cooper was unable to
deflect the scything enemy properly and grunted in pain as the claw plunged
into his side, popping a lung.
Finally overcoming his surprise,
Osborn quickly reacted and unslung his rifle from behind his back. Taking aim
he released three quick bursts of fire at the beast. The high calibre,
explosive tipped rounds powerful enough to punch through Forge Father armor hit
the monster right in the ribs. As strong as the bullets were they weren’t
enough. Seemingly unaffected, the large monster roared in annoyance and turned
its head towards Osborn.
Dark red eyes stared hungrily at
Osborn, freezing him in place from terror. Past the feral look, the eyes appeared
to hold a sort of primitive intelligence. The kind a wolf has when it corners
its prey; it knows when it has you trapped. Knows when you can’t win.
BOOM.
The resounding explosion tore
through the dark tunnel, deafening and disorienting Osborn as he tried to
figure out what was going on.
Cooper managed to get his side
arm free from its holster and shot a point blank round right into the dark
figure straddling him. The monster lurched back and for a second Osborn saw a
glimmer of hope. Cooper did it, he killed the beast. Osborn’s hopes were soon
dashed however as realization dawned on him that Cooper didn’t land a fatal
shot. Whether from the pain of his wound or the constant movement of the thing
above him as it tried to keep him restrained, what was likely supposed to be a
shot square in the face of the creature instead only grazed its shoulder.
Howling in pain and frustration,
the monster lashed out, swiping at Cooper’s arm, sending the side arm spinning
across the ground into the darkness beyond light of the headlamps and with it, their
only hope of survival. With its clawed hands gripped on either side of the
Sarge’s head, the monster smashed his skull into the rocky ground and then
heaved upward with a mighty pull. Muscles bulging, it pulled and pulled.
With a sickening tear, Coopers
head separated from his shoulder, and with it, all life from his eyes. Finally,
the blood curdling scream stopped.
It was at that moment that Osborn
felt a trickle down the side of his leg. It was at that moment that Osborn
realized what befell the workers of the mine.
He turned and ran as his friends
head rolled past him, a scream of undying horror and pain forever etched onto
its face.
Osborn
tried to listen for signs of pursuit. Was that footsteps he heard? It was difficult
to hear anything behind the beating of his heart hammering in his ears. Try as
he might, he could not discern anything beyond his own footsteps and the racing
of his blood.
That doesn’t mean I am safe though. It only
means I don’t know if it’s behind me.
Staggering, he threw his
hands out to keep him from falling. This
is hopeless. I can’t go on. I lost too much blood. If only I could warn the
others. If only Coopers radio message went through…
The radio! Through all the
horror and pain, Osborn completely forgot about the radio. He reached to his
belt and snatched off his own radio and quickly pulled it to his mouth. ‘If
any.. Of you… Can… hear me. Get out of… Here… It got Cooper, I am next… I’ll
see… What I can do.. It has been a pleasure.. Now run.’ With that, he threw the
radio onto the ground. He didn’t want to hear anyone trying to convince him
otherwise. Now was his time. He was going to die. He was determined to not go
alone. With a grim resolve, Osborn pulled out his side arm and knife and swivelled
on the spot to face the way he came, ending in a low crouch.
‘I know
you’re out there. Where though?’ Osborn mumbled.
Out of
the darkness it emerged, a black silhouette, barely more than a shadow. It
approached at a leisurely pace; savoring the kill.
Osborn
slowly took aim with his side arm – holding his knife at the ready – and fired.
Round
after round tore through the darkness, slamming into the shadow before him.
Clicking empty, Osborn holstered the side arm and charged in with his knife, prepared
to test this beast’s meddle.
Man and
beast colliding, they hit the ground, struggling for the advantage over one
another. Rolling through the dust, Osborn gave just as good as he received. Cut
for cut. Slash for slash. Unfortunately, no matter how many times he stabbed,
the beast didn’t show any signs of slowing and already Osborn felt light
headed. He had to do something soon, but what?
Buying
himself time, Osborn kicked off the creature and landed solidly a few paces
away. Taking in the condition of the creature, the medic was amazed at how the
beast still carried itself. Its endurance and tolerance for pain was
astonishing. Five bullet wounds punctured its chest and the sixth plunged deep
into its leg. It sported cuts – both big and small – in over a dozen places.
Enough damage to fell an elephant. Yet there it stood.
Fumbling
for his side arm, Osborn quickly attempted to reload his gun.
The
world started spinning and he lurched forward.
No, not now. One more minute. Need… to
finish thi…
He collapsed to the ground.
Through all the fighting, the wound on his side had torn wider, releasing a
torrent of blood. He quickly started bleeding out. Unable to move let alone
fight, Osborn lay helpless as the beast stalked forward.
The wolf finally caught the sheep was
the last thought Osborn as everything grew darker around him.
He was
too relieved to even scream.
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