'Why are they fleeing?!' Garland spat. 'Hold the line!'
It was much like the ripple of a stone causing an avalanche; once one person started to run, everyone joined in. I watched the terrified faces of people sprinting past, unable to stop and not even caring which direction they were headed. Mothers and fathers forced to fight side by side were throwing in the towel, while others clung stubbornly to their tenuous positions.
'Lotty, no!' One lady cried, still holding on to the ruined carcass of her friend. The second she passed away, her body seemed to dissolve, transforming into something non-corporeal.
'Hurry up. The thralls are breaking through!'
One person was standing atop a frosty ridge, holding their ground. The gesture caused a few people to slow down, but the rest carried on running. 'There are only a few of them, dammit! Back to your posts.'
'Thralls?' I ask Garland.
