The red Honda Civic screamed down the abandoned highway, a streak of red against the gray asphalt. "I'm already going 80," Derrick's voice cut through the roar of the engine, an edge of frustration betraying his usual calm demeanor. He shot a quick glance at Tanya, whose fingers were white-knuckled, and clenched on the door's handle in anxiousness.
Tanya, however, seemed deaf to Derrick's words. Her gaze was fixed outside the passenger window, her breath catching in her throat as she stared upward. High above, silhouetted against the grim sky, the giant insect clung to the side of a skyscraper like some repulsive insect that escaped from an evil scientist's lab. Its spindly legs, each as thick as tree trunks, hugged the contour of the glass, a monstrous freak that defied the laws of nature.
For a brief moment, Derrick saw what Tanya was staring at and understood her speechlessness. Though the creature was still, the thought of it chasing them caused his heart to race with adrenaline and the instinct to flee. He pushed down harder on the accelerator, determined to get more speed out of the car, while Tanya remained fixated, her eyes filled with both terror and awe as she gazed upon the towering creature on the side of the building.
"Keep your eyes on the road, Derrick," she finally whispered, though her attention never wavered from the colossal insect. There was no need to articulate the dread that filled the car; it hung between them, as touchable as the cold air blowing through the vents of the air conditioner. Derrick nodded, swallowing hard, his hands steady on the wheel, a silent promise that he would not let that monster overtake them on this shit stain stretch of road.
Tanya's heart pounded in her chest, matching the increased revving of the Civic's engine. Her eyes stayed focused on the insect, its compound eyes reflecting a burning desire to destroy everything around it.
In that prolonged moment, she sensed a chilling intelligence behind those black pupils, an unnerving calculation as it tilted its head, antennae twitching with diabolical ambition.
"Can it see us?" Her voice was little more than a whisper, the words escaping before she could catch them. She didn't need Derrick's answer; the tightening of her chest told her all she needed to know.
Without warning, the creature shifted. Its massive feet, armed with razor-sharp claws, scraped against the glass, sending a high-pitched screech into the air that was almost drowned by the sound of shattering windows. Tanya flinched involuntarily, her heart skipping a beat as an avalanche of glass plunged down, catching the fading twilight like a deadly shower of crystals plummeting toward the earth.
"Watch out!" she cried, the panic in her voice cutting through the howl of the engine.
Derrick's instincts kicked in immediately, slamming his foot on the brake pedal. But it was already too late. The creature jumped from the building hurtling towards them and turning her worst fears into reality. Its massive armored form contorted into the shape of a cannonball as it glinted in what little light remained from the setting sun. It barreled straight for the red Honda Civic, chunks of asphalt flew the moment it made contact with the highway as it skidded against the loose pebbles as it slid towards their car.
"Floor it!" Tanya's voice cracked with panic as she gripped the upholstery, her fingers digging into the fabric. Despite the Civic's engine wailing in protest, Derrick pushed the car to its limits, the speedometer needle now trembling past 100. The world outside blurred into streaks of color as they hurtled down the highway. Derrick's every muscle was taut with exertion, eyes flickering between the monster in the rear-view mirror and the stretch of road ahead.
Derrick's hands shook on the steering wheel as he frantically swerved, trying to dodge the behemoth now chasing them. The massive creature's legs pounded against the pavement, each impact sending tremors through the car. Fear pulsed through Tanya's veins, every thud of the creature's monstrous limbs causing her heart to race faster.
"Keep going," she urged her voice barely above a breath, each word a plea, a prayer, as the shadow of the beast grew closer to them.
The monster's giant exoskeleton rattled and clicked as it charged towards them, its limbs moving with an otherworldly speed that shouldn't be possible, as its pincers opened and closed. The fading sun cast an eerie red glow on the barren landscape, stretching out the creature's elongated shadow behind it. Every time they thought they had put some distance between themselves and the beast, it closed in again, seemingly shrinking the gap with each step. It was like a cruel game of cat and mouse under the blood-stained sky.
"We won't make it like this," panic rose in Tanya's chest as she looked ahead at their limited options. The car swayed under Derrick's jolted maneuvering, the engine roaring as they sped down the highway. But they wouldn't make it out alive unless they found a way to escape the creature chasing them.
In the distance, a narrow tunnel appeared, its mouth gaping open like a dark abyss. It was their only chance to get away from the monster and reach safety. "Derrick! The underpass!" Tanya shouted, pointing frantically ahead with a trembling hand.
He nodded grimly, his jaw set with determination as he adjusted their direction towards the tunnel. Every turn and curve of the road seemed to test Derrick's skill behind the wheel.
Sweat beaded on his forehead as they approached the tunnel, and he eased off the gas just enough to give him control over each sharp turn they were about to experience. They were so close if they could just make it in, maybe the creature's immense size would play in their favor and stop it from pursuing them into the tunnel.
The roar of the engine filled their ears as they plunged into the darkness of the underpass, their fate hanging in the balance.